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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23727691">loveless.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/liquorna/pseuds/liquorna'>liquorna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, M/M, a lot of drama, but there's a lot of side ships, lowkey gossip girl vibes, nsfw parts, rich kids being wild, slowburn, the main ship is nomin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:14:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,676</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23727691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/liquorna/pseuds/liquorna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>lee jeno was born on the wrong side of the tracks, he was an outsider whose high ambitions got him into one of the most prestigious schools in the country.<br/>there, he will be sucked into a new life of unfamiliar luxury, where he quickly learns that preppy kids are always the most scandalous ones, and that falling in love with na jaemin was one hell of a mistake.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Mark Lee/Na Jaemin, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. last day of summer.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>a few warnings before we start. </p><p>- this will contain sexual scenes even if it won't be the focus of the story.<br/>- there will be mentions of drugs and suicide, i know this can be triggering to a lot of people, which is why i must give this warning beforehand. there won't be anything too graphic but still.<br/>- overall strong language.<br/>- lowercase intended.<br/>- slowburn lmao.<br/>- i kinda picture each chapter as an episode, idk if that makes sense but yea.<br/>- side ships and characters are important and vital to the story. nomin may be the main ship, but i like to give my characters depth and make them feel alive, which is why every character will be important to the storyline and will have their own development and the focus won't be solely on nomin, so if that bothers you then uhhh.. oops.<br/>- also, please remember that this is fiction and that the personalities of the characters won't represent how they are in real life. </p><p>(yes this has already been posted on twitter but i felt it would be better as a chaptered fic lmao)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>with the end of summer, comes the end of vacation and the ultimate return to reality. </p><p>the last day of summer is always filled with a strange rush, time seems to move faster and every emotion feels intensified. maybe it's the anticipation of going back to the same old routine, or the glimmering hope that somehow things may be different; better.</p><p>in the crowded airport, jaemin had his eyes fixated on his phone screen, tapping away a few words while dragging his luggage behind him. of course, the second he was back home, his phone was bombarded with calls and texts from all sorts of people. classmates, friends, random acquaintances who have his number. but jaemin only responded to one person as he made his way to the black car that was awaiting him outside the airport. </p><p>"hyuckie, hi." jaemin started with a smile, giving his chauffeur a small wave and thanking him with a low voice for carrying his luggage away. </p><p>"jaemin! are you there yet?" donghyuck's excitement was apparent in the tone of his voice. </p><p>"my plane just landed. i saw your texts. so you're throwing me a party, huh?" jaemin got inside the car, finding comfort in its soft seats.</p><p>"of course i am! i haven't seen you all summer, and i miss you." donghyuck paused, awaiting a specific response from his best friend. </p><p>"i missed you more." jaemin replied and could picture the satisfied smile on donghyuck's face right away. </p><p>"i can't wait to see you and hear all about italy and the great summer you had. did i tell you that i was jealous?" </p><p>"i think i got that from all the comments you left on my pictures." jaemin chuckled as he recalled the angry emojis that donghyuck would leave under his posts. </p><p>"well, it's illegal and so very cruel of you! i spent my summer locked up inside with renjun complaining about college all day long. i swear, i was going crazy. i need to have fun, and tonight is a golden opportunity!" donghyuck exclaimed, and jaemin hummed in response. </p><p>"you always throw the best parties." </p><p>"of course i do. hey! watch the vase! my mother would kill you if anything happens to it!" </p><p>"oh no, not the silver vase!" jaemin gasped,<br/>
amused by donghyuck's sudden burst of anger. </p><p>"ugh, i need to go. these people need directions or they set the house on fire. so, i'll see you tonight?" </p><p>"see you tonight." after hanging up the phone, jaemin's smile fell almost instantly, replaced by a long heavy sigh. </p><p>"going straight home, sir?" the chauffeur asked politely, keeping his eyes on the road. </p><p>"oh, no. we'll be making a stop."</p><p> </p><p>as jaemin looked out the window, he saw the cityscape slowly changing from the crowded airport to the emptiness that surrounded the establishment he dreaded entering. </p><p>jaemin got out of the car, his footsteps slightly heavier as he walked through the doors of the treatment center and walked straight to the third floor, where he made his way to room 103, all the way down the hall.<br/>
with a bit of hesitation, jaemin gently knocked on the door before twisting it open. </p><p>"can i come in?" jaemin spoke with a soft voice as he peeped his head through the door. </p><p>"jaemin?!" jisung sat up almost instantly, a bright smile lighting up his surprised face. </p><p>jaemin rushed to his brother's side, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. "god, i've missed you so much.. how are you?" </p><p>jisung returned the warm embrace, giving him a somewhat awkward smile. "you know.. i've been better." </p><p>"i'm sorry i couldn't visit you earlier.. they only told me about it yesterday." jaemin sighed as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed. </p><p>"that's fine, i didn't wanna worry you anyway." jisung shrugged, but jaemin couldn't shake off the increasing anger that rose in his chest whenever he recalled that his parents hid this away from him. </p><p>"i'm so mad at them. i can't believe they could keep something like that from me! you've been in here since the beginning of the summer and they only told me about it yesterday! i took the first plane as soon as i heard, but they should've told me sooner." </p><p>"they kept it from everyone. no one knows i'm here. apparently, i'm in new york for some kind of internship. i don't remember for what though, maybe it was for the new york times, or another paper. all i know is that it'll look good on my resume." jisung spoke with a strong hint of sarcasm, letting out a bitter chuckle. </p><p>"i can't believe them! they're never gonna hear the end of it, i promise you. what are they thinking, hiding you away like that?" </p><p>"it's okay, it's actually better that way. i don't want anyone at school to know about it, you know how fast rumors spread around there. i don't think i'm ready to face them just yet." </p><p>"jisung, the only thing that matters is your wellbeing. i couldn't care less about what anyone has to say, none of their opinions matter and no one has the right to tell you anything! i just want you to be okay." </p><p>"i am okay, really! it was just.. a moment of weakness. it won't happen again." jisung's voice wasn't as assured as he intended for it to seem, his eyes diverting to the side of the room. </p><p>"how.. how did it happen? i mean.. why? why did you do it?" jaemin's voice was almost a whisper as he ushered those words as carefully as he could. </p><p>a long silence followed jaemin's question, before jisung managed to break it with a slightly irritated tone. "i already told you, it was a moment of weakness. you probably think i'm crazy too." </p><p>"you're not crazy, sungie.." </p><p>"yeah, well you're the only one who doesn't think so. mom thinks i'm crazy, dad thinks i'm crazy. hell, even chenle thinks i'm crazy! that's why he left me. he probably hates me." jisung took a deep breath to calm himself down. "you were gone, hansol was gone, mom and dad were fighting all the time, and my best friend left me.. i was just overwhelmed with emotions, and i felt fucking sad. i felt so.. alone. it's as if nothing mattered anymore, i didn't matter. i just wanted to stop feeling so fucking sad all the time, i wanted to stop feeling like my world was meaningless, i wanted to stop feeling so empty and lonely all the time. i just wanted everything to stop." jisung closed his eyes and dropped his head down, a few tears rolling down his cheeks without his permission. </p><p>"sungie.." jaemin felt his own eyes brimming with tears the more his little brother spoke, his heart tightening monstrously inside his chest. "i'm so sorry for leaving.. i needed to be away from here for a while but if i had known, i would have stayed by your side.. i'm such a horrible brother, i'm sorry." </p><p>"don't say that." jisung sniffled and reached out to grab jaemin's hand comfortingly. "you didn't know." </p><p>"i.. i don't know what happened between you and chenle, but i know for a fact that he doesn't hate you." jaemin tightened the grip on his hand to stop it from trembling. </p><p>"we had a big fight. it was horrible, and he left me. i just.. i don't wanna talk about it." </p><p>"i understand. but you know that i'm here for you, right? whenever you feel ready to talk about anything, i hope you know that you can always count on me. you know that, right?"</p><p>"yeah, i know." jisung smiled softly, and that was enough to soothe jaemin's heart for that moment. </p><p>"so, are you ready to come back home?" </p><p>"mom said that i'll be out by the end of the week." </p><p>"i'll get you out of here right away! school starts tomorrow, and i don't want you to stay here for a second longer." </p><p>"oh, no! you don't have to.. i.. i'm not ready to go back to school just yet. and i kinda like it here. i have a friend." jisung confessed a little awkwardly. </p><p>"a friend?" jaemin couldn't help but smile and raise an interrogating eyebrow. </p><p>"yeah! we were in the same room before mom insisted i got my own, she said it would be less risky that way." jisung explained while jaemin rolled his eyes. </p><p>"so.. does this friend have a name?" </p><p>"samuel, but i call him samu." jisung smiled, seemingly excited to gush about his new friend. "he was already there when i first got into the center. apparently he's been here for quite a long time but not for the same reason as me."</p><p>"then why is he here?" </p><p>jisung seemed to be taken aback by jaemin's question, hesitating for a few seconds before answering in a nonchalant manner. "oh.. well, i tried to kill myself. i don't see how anything could be worse than that."</p><p>jaemin stayed quiet, both stunned and completely unsure on how to react to his brother's blunt and eerily detached response. </p><p>"he's really nice to me, you know?" jisung continued, as a way to break the uncomfortable silence that began settling in the room, brushing off his nonchalant attitude. "when i first came in the centre, i was miserable. but he was always there to make me laugh. he kept making up these stupid jokes, and he was always smiling. he was naturally happy, which weirded me out at first. but then, it turned into admiration. and he did everything he could to communicate that happiness to me. he helped me a lot, he's a really good friend." </p><p>"i'm.. sure he is." jaemin replied quietly and cleared his throat, still unable to shake off the disorienting feeling he got due to jisung's incomprehensible reaction. "so, are you sure that you don't want me to take you home right now?" </p><p>"yeah, it's better that way." jisung confirmed with a small smile. </p><p>"alright. but if you ever change your mind, just let me know and i'll get you out of here right away." </p><p>"promise." jisung chuckled softly at his brother's insistance. "have you seen your friends yet?" </p><p>"no, i haven't seen anyone just yet. you were my priority." jaemin smiled tenderly as he ran his fingers through jisung's hair to mess it up, much to the younger boy's annoyance. "but donghyuck is throwing a party tonight so i'll most likely see everyone there. or at school tomorrow." </p><p>"then what are you still doing here? go have fun!" jisung pointed at the door as he quickly fixed his messed up strands of hair. </p><p>jaemin gasped, feigning an offended expression. "are you kicking me out?" </p><p>jisung couldn't help but laugh at his brother's dramatic reaction, all too common for him. "of course not. but you came here straight from the airport, it's getting late and you still have a long night ahead of you. i don't wanna keep you from having fun. plus, you can tell me all about it if you pay me a visit tomorrow." </p><p>"of course i'll visit you! i'll bring you the best and newest first day of school gossip." </p><p>"you know i hate those." jisung rolled his eyes, which only caused jaemin to laugh even louder. </p><p>"oh, i know!" jaemin stood up and left a long kiss on jisung's cheek, under his brother's annoyed whines and muffled protests. "get some rest, sungie. i'll see you tomorrow." </p><p>"wait!" jisung quickly grabbed jaemin's hand, preventing him from taking a step forward. this made jaemin turn around, facing him with a curious look on his face. "if.. if you see chenle tomorrow, don't tell him i'm here. he doesn't know."</p><p>jaemin hummed understandingly, giving him a firm nod. "i won't say anything." </p><p>"and.. if he asks or talks about me, can you tell me what he said? i mean, if he doesn't say anything, i don't want you to lie and say he did."</p><p>"of course he's gonna ask about you. here, i promise you that i will report my interactions with as much honesty as humanly possible." </p><p>"fine.. thanks." jisung smiled and let go of jaemin's hand, giving him a small wave instead. </p><p> </p><p>jaemin left the room after greeting his brother a final goodbye, allowing his back to rest against the closed door while he processed the situation, his heart still heavy from the conversation they just had. his younger brother was at a treatment center, a sort of clinic for people who were recovering from all sorts of issues, because he had tried to take his own life. that thought was enough to break jaemin's heart over and over again. </p><p>jaemin took a deep breath and shook his head to regain his composure, before walking away rapidly. his mind was still hazy, rushing with all sorts of thoughts. he kept his head down as he walked towards the elevator, causing him to bump into a strong chest, the impact pulling him straight out of his daydreams. </p><p>as jaemin looked up, he was met with a pair of dark eyes. they were piercing but emulated with kindness at the same time. it didn't take long for jaemin to notice that the boy he was staring at had just dropped a cup of soda on the floor, while still clenching a fast food bag in his hand. </p><p>"oh.. i'm so sorry, i wasn't paying attention." jaemin apologized, his eyes flashing with guilt as he scanned the mess he caused on the floor. </p><p>"at least the burger is safe. trust me, that's the most important part." jeno held the bag up with a smile. "hey, don't look so freaked. it's just a drink." </p><p>jaemin shook his head, snapping out of his dazed state. "i'm not freaked, just in a hurry. i'm sorry for this, can i offer you a new drink? or at least repay you for that one?" </p><p>"there's no need. don't worry about it. but hey, you okay? you seem.. nervous." jeno asked with a bit of concern. </p><p>"i just.. i need to get out of here. sorry." jaemin quickly left the building without looking back, rushing to the car while jeno watched him with a puzzled expression before shrugging it off and continuing to walk towards room 104, at the end of the hall. </p><p>as soon as he opened the door, jeno was greeted by a familiar face who quickly snatched the bag filled with food away before hopping on the hospital bed. "finally, i'm fucking starving!"</p><p>"you know, you could treat the person who feeds you with a little more respect." jeno scoffed as he plopped down on the couch. </p><p>without answering, the young boy shoved the burger in his mouth, almost choking in the process. "mhm, where's my soda?" </p><p>"all over the floor in the hallway. if you're lucky, the cleaning lady might have not swept it away just yet." jeno chuckled at his humorous attempt before pulling out his phone. </p><p>a small silence took over the room, with only the sounds of chewing and heavy breathing audible. </p><p>"slow down, samu." jeno warned while taking his eyes off his phone to send a subtle glare towards the younger boy. </p><p>"sorry, i just haven't eaten all day." samuel sighed happily as he fell back on the bed after finishing his burger. "thank you, jen." </p><p>jeno shrugged and focused back on his phone, seemingly replying to a text. </p><p>"so! starting tomorrow, you'll officially be a private school kid, huh? how does it feel?" from the tone of his voice and the playful smile on his lips, it was obvious that samuel was teasing him. </p><p>"yeah." jeno replied shortly. "it feels.. weird. i'm trying not to overthink it too much, it's just a school and i was lucky enough to get a scholarship. it's a good opportunity for me." </p><p>"of course you got that scholarship! you're the smartest guy i know, jeno. you deserve it." samuel encouraged him, his smile seemingly fading as he looked away to the side, which didn't go unnoticed to jeno's attention. </p><p>"hey now, what's with the attitude?" jeno stood up from the couch and took a seat on the bed while samuel slightly shifted to make more room for him. </p><p>"it's just.. as much as i'm happy for you, i can't help but feel worried about this whole situation. i mean, you're gonna get all these new opportunities, you're gonna meet some important people and get into an ivy league college and then.. you'll leave this place. and once you leave, you're gonna forget all about me." samuel's voice wasn't as bright as it used to be, showing hints of insecurity and bottled up fear. </p><p>"what are you talking about? i won't forget about you, samu." jeno sighed and gave the younger boy a comforting look, but samuel kept avoiding his gaze, focusing on the bedsheets instead, with a small frown on his face. </p><p>"yeah, you will. eventually, you will. just like everyone else." samuel sat up abruptly on the bed. "i know it's fucking selfish, but you're the only family i have. and we're not even related!" </p><p>"hey, don't say that. i couldn't forget about you even if i tried, you're not a forgettable person. in fact, you're the most memorable guy i know. and i'm sure that a nice family will come along eventually, you just.. shouldn't lose hope." jeno moved his hand around samuel's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. </p><p>"but it's hard, jeno. it's always the same thing! from the moment they come in with their pity smiles, they already know that they'll never come back. they fucking hate me. no one wants a fucking junkie as a son." samuel's voice cracked as he muttered the last part with an agony that jeno wanted to get rid of so badly. </p><p>"don't fucking say that, samu. you're here for a reason, to get better! getting into a new family isn't easy, but when the right people come along, you'll know it. if it's not meant to be, then it's not meant to be. but that doesn't mean that it's your fault. you're so much more than an addiction, you're capable of great things and i won't let you throw your life away, you hear me?" jeno's voice was stern but filled with care. </p><p>"yeah, dad.." samuel muttered under his breath, earning a small smack on the back of the head, which made him whine loudly. "ow!" </p><p>before he could give a witty remark, jeno's attention was redirected to his phone after he received a text. "damn, i gotta go. yukhei's race is starting soon, i can't miss it." </p><p>"woah, it's tonight?" samuel's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of the race. </p><p>"yep. he's going against rocky, too. and there's a cash prize." jeno chuckled as he got up from the bed, shoving his phone back in his pocket. </p><p>"he's gonna be on fire! damn.. i really miss watching him ride his motorcycle. i wish i could come." samuel sighed and fell back on the bed in despair. </p><p>"you know, if you stopped being such a troublemaker, maybe the doctors would allow you to go out more often." </p><p>"hey, i'm not a troublemaker! this place is fucking boring. i just like cheering people on, make them laugh a little. doesn't make me a bad guy."</p><p>"this is a treatment center, samu. i know it's not the most exciting place on earth, and i know you'd rather be somewhere else. but this place is like a shelter, and they're helping you get better here. you have to understand that rebelling against everything and everyone isn't gonna get you far." </p><p>"what, you're lecturing me now?" samuel frowned, giving jeno an irked look. </p><p>"i'm just trying to help you understand things better. i'll see you later." jeno sighed and left the room under samuel's wintry glares. </p><p>things always escalated quickly with samuel. he was like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any moment. jeno understood his bottled up anger, given the circumstances samuel had to live through. he knew that things were tough, he understood that better than anyone. which is why he always tried to be a good rolemodel for him. maybe even a source of inspiration. </p><p>as jeno walked away from the center, he couldn't help but be relieved that the building was in such a nice neighborhood, away from the usual hostile environment they were confronted to. thankfully, the home for troubled youth where samuel used to stay at could afford to get him into this treatment center after his overdose, which he normally wouldn't be able to pay for due to its elite clientele and expensive quality. all that mattered was that samuel was in good hands. </p><p>jeno made his way back home, away from the peaceful streets and into the darkest part of town, where he grew up all his life. </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"how could you?" jaemin loudly slammed the door behind him as soon as he got inside the unwelcoming doors of his house, making his mother jump in fright from the couch where she was seated, glass of wine in hand as she watched the television screen. </p><p>"dear god jaemin, do you always have to come in like a storm?" the woman sighed and turned back around to concentrate on the movie that was playing. </p><p>"how could you hide that from me?" jaemin repeated his question while the chauffeur carried the rest of his bags upstairs to his room. </p><p>"hide what from you?" she looked back at him with an unconcerned expression on her face. </p><p>"oh, i don't know, let's see! how about.. the fact that my brother tried to end his life?! didn't it occur to you to maybe let me know about that?!" jaemin's voice was getting increasingly louder by the second, feeling his rage growing stronger. </p><p>"i did let you know, i told you about it yesterday, didn't i?" </p><p>"he's been in there since the beginning of the summer! and you just let me know about it now?! why would you do that?!" </p><p>"because i knew how you'd react, jaemin. you'd come rushing like a fury, without thinking. which is exactly what you're doing right now." she stood up from the couch, walking over to the cabinet in order to refill her glass of wine. "there was no need to alert you. i didn't want to disrupt your vacation."</p><p>"disrupt my vacation?! are you out of your fucking mind?! he could've died, mom!" jaemin was no longer trying to hold back, his voice bursting into loud screams that translated his infuriation. </p><p>"well, he didn't die now, did he? for the love of god, lower your voice." </p><p>"don't tell me to lower my voice! i can't believe you kept him in there, hidden from everyone! you've been lying and telling everyone that he's away!" </p><p>"and what else was i supposed to do, jaemin? tell the world that my sixteen year old son tried to put an end to his life?" she turned around to face him, holding her glass firmly in her hand. </p><p>jaemin stayed quiet for a moment, still fuming within. "you could've said anything.. anything that wouldn't make him feel worse than he already does. anything that wouldn't make him feel like he's.. crazy." </p><p>"i did what was best for him, jaemin. i don't expect you to understand." she walked past him, leaving him in the middle of the living room as she regained her seat and continued her movie like he wasn't even there. </p><p>"hey.. i heard screaming down here." hansol stared at them from the top of the staircase, before quickly running downstairs and wrapping his arms around jaemin, who returned the hug just as tightly, his anger slowly diffusing into pure sadness. </p><p>"he could've died, hansol.. he could've.." jaemin mumbled between a few sobs, letting himself go against his brother's comforting embrace. </p><p>"shh, he's okay baby.. he's okay. come on, let's go upstairs." hansol shot a subtle glare at their mother, who was still royally ignoring the situation, before helping jaemin upstairs to his room, where all of his luggage was placed on the floor. </p><p>"he's not okay, hansol.. i saw him. he's.. different." jaemin sniffled and calmed himself down, rubbing his eyes as he sat on his bed. </p><p>"jisung has been going through some things. i don't know what exactly, but.. he's getting help. look, i don't agree with how mom and dad are treating this whole situation, but.. getting him help was the best thing to do. you can't deny that." hansol explained with a soft voice, taking a seat next to him on the bed. </p><p>"i guess you're right.. i just don't want him to be sad. i don't want him to hurt himself again." jaemin looked down, chewing on his bottom lip. "i feel so.. guilty for not being there." </p><p>"we won't let that happen again. from now on, we'll be there for him." hansol stood up, kneeling down in front of jaemin to face him with a comforting smile, resting his forehead against jaemin's own. "won't we?"</p><p>"yes, we will.." jaemin gave him a small nod and managed to return hansol's contagious smile. "i've missed you." </p><p>"missed you too. the house is fucking hell without you and jisung around." hansol sighed before getting up. </p><p>"when did you find out?" jaemin asked with a curious frown on his face. "you left way before me. weren't you in tokyo with your friends?" </p><p>"yeah, but.. mom actually called me.. a few days after it happened. she told me, and i came back home right away."</p><p>"she called you, huh?" jaemin scoffed, shaking his head. "and you didn't.. tell me either." </p><p>"i wanted to, trust me. but.. mom told me not to. you were having the time of your life there, jaemin. i could tell that summer made you happy, and i didn't want to freak you out. jisung was alright, i dropped all my summer plans to be with him. there was no need for you to be there. i wanted you to have fun and feel better. i could tell you really needed that break, away from here, from everyone." </p><p>jaemin sighed deeply and gave him a small nod. "i understand.. thank you. for looking out for him, for looking out for me.." </p><p>"hey, it's just what older brothers do." hansol smiled and noticed the constant buzzing of jaemin's phone that was thrown on the bed. "someone is popular." </p><p>jaemin shook his head and picked up his phone, gasping quietly as he stared at the time displayed on his screen. "i didn't realize it was so late already." </p><p>"time flies. are you expected somewhere?" </p><p>"yeah, donghyuck throwing me a party. do you have plans for tonight?" </p><p>"i was planning on finishing up this new show. sicheng tried to drag me outside but i don't really feel like partying right now." </p><p>"me neither.. but i can't just bail on him when he prepared everything for me." </p><p>"you should go. have some fun, clear your head from this crazy day." </p><p>"you're right.." jaemin sighed and got up from the bed, looking around his room with a small smile. </p><p>"i'll let you get ready now." hansol chuckled before leaving jaemin alone in his room who quickly walked over to his closet, opening it up completely and standing in front of it with a puzzled expression on his face. </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"yo jeno, you got a cigarette?" a familiar voice came up behind him as he was calmly observing all the motorcycles around, trying to spot his friend in the crowd filled with people waiting for the race to start. </p><p>"hey, xiaojun." jeno chuckled and pulled out the cigarette pack from his pocket, handing it over to him. "have you seen lucas?"</p><p>"yeah, he's over there, talking to rocky. i'm sure he's gonna win, there's mad cash as a prize. maybe you two could use it on your new preppy school stuff." xiaojun chuckled as he took a long drag out of the cigarette. </p><p>"damn. so everyone around here already knows, huh?" jeno shook his head in disbelief. one thing he hated about this place was how fast the word got out, and how it seemed that everyone was always aware of other people's business. </p><p>"relax, nobody's gonna fuck with you. if anyone tries, just call me up and i'll take care of it." xiaojun threw his head back and slowly blew the smoke in the air. "by the way, i heard your big bro was coming back home soon." </p><p>upon hearing that, jeno's face suddenly fell, seeming more tense. "where the fuck did you hear that?" </p><p>"just from some guys i know. told me he was getting some bail money." xiaojun looked at jeno, noticing his accentuated frown. "y'know, maybe it's for the best. we kinda miss him around here. the streets just aren't the same without him." </p><p>"yeah? well, i don't fucking miss him. if you'll excuse me, i have to go see lucas. wish him luck and all that." jeno's tone was dry as he quickly walked away from xiaojun who was still enjoying his cigarette to where lucas was at, inspecting his motorcycle. </p><p>"hey! you okay? you look tense." yukhei remarked upon seeing his friend. </p><p>"i'm fine! i saw you talking to rocky. how come you two didn't get into a fight?" jeno chuckled, quickly changing the subject. </p><p>"come on, we're not sworn enemies." yukhei laughed softly and shook his head. "i actually like having him around. feels like legit competition, gives me more motivation to do my best." </p><p>"i can understand. so, how are you feeling? like a winner?" jeno smacked his friend's shoulder enthusiastically. </p><p>"hell yeah! it's gonna be so much fun." yukhei chuckled and hopped on his motorcycle effortlessly as the race's start was approaching. "mark said he was coming, so keep an eye out for him. we'll celebrate after the race, okay?" </p><p>"for sure. good luck, and don't fucking hurt yourself!" jeno warned him while yukhei simply laughed as he put his helmet on and got ready to start. </p><p>jeno went over to find a seat, spotting the last member of their little friend group by the entrance, moving his arms in exaggerated motions to get his attention. "mark lee!" </p><p>mark smiled and walked over to his friend, giving him a quick hug. "hey! did it start yet?" </p><p>"it's starting, let's go." jeno led him to their seats, and soon enough, the entire place was filled with loud cheers and engine noises.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>the loud music was unpleasantly buzzing through jaemin's ears as he made his way inside donghyuck's house, which was already packed with people. fortunately for him, donghyuck was quick to spot him and rush to his side, greeting him with a long hug. at least he didn't have to worry about finding him between all these people anymore. </p><p>"you're finally here! do you have any idea how much i missed you?" donghyuck complained, refusing to pull away from the warm hug. </p><p>"i missed you more, hyuckles." jaemin couldn't help but laugh at his friend's affection, already feeling the heavy weight of this day slowly lifting off his shoulders. </p><p>donghyuck smiled widely and held jaemin's hand, dragging him away from the crowded halls and into the living room, which was significantly emptier. "so! how was italy? met any hot guys? tell me all about it. please, i need some excitement after living through so much boredom." </p><p>"i met.. a guy." jaemin smiled softly as he sat on the couch, where donghyuck was quick to join him with big curious eyes staring right into his soul. </p><p>"and?" donghyuck rushed him, obviously dying to know more. </p><p>"he was.. perfect. but you know how summer flings go, i might never see him again." jaemin sighed with a bit of chagrin. </p><p>"no guy is perfect." donghyuck retorted, but jaemin was basking right back into his daydreams as he remembered the summer he had just spent. </p><p>"he was.. straight out of a movie. we met at the beach, on a very sunny day. i was going on a walk, and he was sitting on the sand, reading a book, looking absolutely.. ethereal. he saw me and immediately closed his book, and gave me a smile that almost made my heart stop. he was confident enough to stand up and ask me if i was alone. i said yes, and he asked if i wanted some company. again, i said yes, and we walked along the beach. we kept talking and talking and eventually, the sun started setting. our conversations were so interesting and so rich, he was.. so intelligent. it seemed as if he knew everything about the world, and i was so drawn to him. the way he spoke, so gently, yet with so much assurance. we exchanged numbers and from then on, it's like i was living in a romantic movie of my own." jaemin shook his head to snap back to reality, wiping the stupid smile away from his face. </p><p>"wow.. jaemin, that sounds beautiful. you must really like him." donghyuck showed him a tender smile, feeling touched by the way his best friend was describing the whole scene. </p><p>"i do.. but i don't know if things will work out now that summer is over. maybe it's better to leave those memories in the summer, where they belong." </p><p>"stop being so pessimistic. i bet he's crazy about you. you shouldn't just give up without even trying to make it work. and plus, you never know, this could turn out to be a beautiful love story and movies will be made about it. angelo and jaemin, the italian dream." donghyuck gasped dramatically, which only made jaemin burst into a fit of giggles. </p><p>"his name isn't angelo. it's johnny." </p><p>"johnny? ew.. i like angelo better." </p><p>"you're so mean. what about you and mark, huh?" jaemin asked with a teasing smile, sending donghyuck into an immediate panicked mode. </p><p>"what about him?" donghyuck repeated the question defensively, pouring himself a drink. </p><p>"i don't know, are you still madly in love with him?" jaemin couldn't help but laugh softly, enjoying donghyuck's reactions. </p><p>"don't say it like that! i'm not.. in love. i just have a little crush on him, that's all." </p><p>"yeah, a little crush that started when we were ten years old and that is still ongoing to this day. very tiny. do you ever plan on confessing to him, hyuck?" </p><p>"i do plan on it! it's just.. i'm not ready yet." donghyuck sighed and chugged his drink down. "hey, you should go see renjun. he's upstairs because he doesn't like the crowd, but he missed you too. i'm sure he wants to see you."</p><p>"i was just gonna ask about him. i'll go see him, and convince him to come down here." jaemin stood up and managed to make his way upstairs, where it was already a lot quieter. </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>small footsteps could be heard in the immersive silence of the treatment center's hallways, approaching the door to the room 103 in a very professional sort of discretion. </p><p>"jisung? are you awake?" samuel whispered as he quickly slipped inside the room, closing the door behind him, careful not to make any noise. </p><p>"samu?" jisung sat up on his bed immediately, leaning over to turn on his bedside table lamp. </p><p>"hey, i hope i didn't wake you." samuel walked over to the bed, where jisung was slowly stretching his arms. </p><p>"i wasn't sleeping. what time is it?" jisung asked with a confused expression on his face. </p><p>"midnight. and.. i'm bored. so, what are we doing tonight?" samuel asked casually as he shoved his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. </p><p>"uh.. we could watch a movie?" jisung suggested hesitantly as he stared at the tv in his room. "something with subtitles though, we can't make too much noise, you know that." </p><p>samuel shook his head. "nah, fuck this place. let's go out and have some fun." </p><p>"what?" jisung whisper-shouted, staring at his friend with big eyes. "are you serious?" </p><p>"totally! let's sneak out and go watch my friend's race. trust me, he's the best in town." </p><p>"i don't know about that, samu. what if we get caught?" </p><p>"i snuck out of here way too many times to count, and no one ever suspects anything. as long as you're with me, you don't have to worry about none of that. c'mon, i'm so tired of spending my days and nights in these fucking hospital rooms. let's live a little. come with me."</p><p>jisung sighed and got up from his bed reluctantly. "fine.. but you promise we won't get into any trouble?"</p><p>samuel smiled widely and gave him a quick nod. "i promise! have you ever seen a motorcycle race before?" </p><p>"uh, no. it's not really my thing." jisung replied as he wore his shoes and threw on a jacket. </p><p>"good, we're gonna have a blast." </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>the cheers only got louder as yukhei's motorcycle unsurprisingly was the first one to return, followed closely by rocky's, making the two friends shout in pure joy as they watched him get his prize with prideful eyes, before running up to their champion with nothing but encouraging praise. </p><p>"you fucking did it!" mark congratulated him with a high-five. </p><p>"hell yeah i did!" yukhei laughed and pulled the both of them into a tight hug, much to jeno's discomfort as he was basically getting choked in the process. "we're gonna party tonight or what?!" </p><p>jeno quickly escaped from yukhei's grip, catching his breath with difficulty. </p><p>"what's a winner without a proper celebration?" mark chuckled. </p><p>"that's what i always say." an unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind him, making mark turn around with a bit of surprise. </p><p>"rocky." yukhei stepped forward, while jeno and mark watched the two of them, unsure on how to react. </p><p>"good job, you were a fucking beast tonight." rocky smiled and extended his hand, which yukhei took in his for a friendly handshake. </p><p>"you were on fire too." yukhei returned the compliment. </p><p>"i'll get you next time." rocky looked over at the two friends and gave them a small wave, which they returned. "enjoy your celebration, lucas. i'm throwing a little party of my own, you're welcome to swing by."</p><p>"oh, i will. thanks for the invite." yukhei watched as rocky left on his motorcycle before turning around to focus on his friends. "so, where were we?" </p><p>"i was saying that–" mark started, but was quickly interrupted by a group of three girls. </p><p>"oh my god, lucas. you were totally hot up there." </p><p>"yeah, you really know how to ride." </p><p>yukhei was obviously enjoying himself, basking in the attention right away and neglecting the two boys who were now pushed to the side. </p><p>"what can i say? having the support of such beautiful ladies could make anyone a winner." </p><p>"oh god." jeno shook his head while mark muffled his laughter. </p><p>the girls giggled at his flirty response, their hands slowly roaming around his arms to caress the muscles displayed through his shirt. </p><p>"you know, i'm pretty good at riding too." </p><p>"oh yeah?" yukhei couldn't help but smirk at the comment. </p><p>"yeah, why don't you come party with us?" </p><p>"you don't have to ask me twice." yukhei looked back at his friends while the girls dragged him away, each one holding onto his arm. "sorry guys, duty calls!" </p><p>mark waved at him with an amused smile plastered on his face while jeno sighed in disbelief. </p><p>"this always happens and yet i'm somehow still surprised." jeno admitted with a soft laugh. </p><p>"well, guess it's just the two of us." mark smiled and wrapped an arm around jeno's shoulder as they started walking away. </p><p>"yeah, let's get out of here. wanna hit the bars?" </p><p>"actually, my friend is throwing a party at his house and i thought it would be a good idea for us to go there. you know, since you're gonna be at our school now, i thought it would be nice for you to get used to that environment and to the people there. what do you say?" </p><p>"oh, i don't know. it seems pretty intimidating." jeno seemed hesitant as he kept walking along with mark in the empty streets. </p><p>"that's why i want you to go. you're gonna belong to that scene now, to that intimidating world. you're gonna have to get used to it." </p><p>jeno chuckled and looked up at the dark sky. "feels weird to think about that." </p><p>mark smiled and gave him a small nod. "it's gonna be so cool to have you and lucas there. some fresh air amongst all the bullshit, you know?" </p><p>jeno laughed at mark's metaphor. "oh come on, it can't be that bad." </p><p>"i'll let you be the judge of that. so, what do you say? can we go?" mark looked almost eager, which naturally made jeno give in. </p><p>"sure. free drinks, count me in." jeno smiled upon seeing mark's relieved expression. "is there, perhaps, another reason as to why you want us to go to that party?" </p><p>"i don't know what you're talking about." mark chuckled as he took his arm off of jeno's shoulder, sticking his hands inside his pockets. </p><p>"yeah, right. there's someone you wanna see, huh?" jeno preyed further, a playful smile on the corner of his lips. </p><p>"fine, i'm busted." mark threw his hands up in the air as if he was getting arrested. "jaemin is back." </p><p>"oh, jaemin." jeno repeated the name slowly. "you're still into him. are you like, in love or something?" </p><p>"he just.. means a lot to me. yeah, i'm really into him. you'd understand better if you actually met him." </p><p>"yeah, you've been talking about him for the longest time." </p><p>"you'll finally get to meet him tonight! and my other friends, too. they're cool, you guys will get along well, i'm sure." mark smiled, seemingly excited about blending the two worlds together. </p><p>jeno was appreciative of the fact that he was trying to make him fit in and feel welcome already. "can't wait." </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"there you are!" jaemin exclaimed as he got on the balcony, where renjun was silently staring at the sky and the stars. </p><p>"jaemin!" renjun smiled widely upon seeing his friend, greeting him with a long hug. </p><p>"i've missed you." jaemin smiled, enjoying the moment since renjun wasn't usually fond of physical contact. </p><p>"me too, if you couldn't tell by the display of affection." renjun chuckled softly before backing away. </p><p>"i've looked everywhere for you! why are you hiding out here?"</p><p>"you know i don't like crowds. how was your summer?" </p><p>"it was.. beautiful. the return to reality, not so much. i kinda wish it never had to end. how was yours?" </p><p>"oh, it was.. okay." renjun shrugged and went back to looking at the stars. </p><p>jaemin joined him, closing his eyes and enjoying the fresh air. "are you sure? donghyuck mentioned that you hardly left the house." </p><p>renjun clicked his tongue. "he dramatizes everything." </p><p>"is everything okay?" jaemin looked over at him with nothing but sincere concern in his eyes. </p><p>"it's just.. college. it's stressing me out. i still have no idea where i wanna go or what i wanna do after graduation and time just keeps slipping by.. i have so much pressure on me. i don't want to disappoint my parents." </p><p>"you're not gonna disappoint anyone, renjun. you've always been excellent at everything you do. just breathe and let things figure themselves out. you still have time." jaemin placed a hand on his shoulder. "you need to relax. you can't keep overworking yourself like that. it's bad, junnie." </p><p>"i know, i know.. i'll try to relax." renjun gave him a soft smile. </p><p>"come on, we're at a party, and donghyuck is waiting for us downstairs. i missed spending time with the both of you!" jaemin smiled and wrapped his arms around him, leading him back into the party. </p><p>"i missed having you around, sunshine." renjun smiled as they walked downstairs into the living room, where donghyuck was no longer sitting alone. </p><p>"oh my god, markie!" jaemin gasped loudly, running into the boy's arms instantly. </p><p>"nana!" mark held him tightly, with his arms wrapped around jaemin's thin waist and his face buried in the crook of his neck, realizing just how much he had missed his sweet scent. </p><p>they stayed like that for a moment, simply holding each other and almost forgetting about everyone else's presence. for a short moment, all that mattered was that mark's arms were around him, and that was enough to make him feel safe. </p><p>donghyuck was the first one to break the moment by loudly clearing his throat. "i hope we're not interrupting you guys by breathing too loud or maybe staring too much. do you want us to leave?" </p><p>mark slowly set jaemin down, completely ignoring donghyuck's bittersweet tone. </p><p>jaemin smiled and placed a long kiss on mark's cheek, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "you have no idea how much i need your hugs right now." </p><p>"they're all yours. are you okay?" mark whispered back, eyebrows slightly furrowed, but jaemin gave him a quick nod to calm his worries down. </p><p>"guys!" mark snapped back to reality, wrapping an arm around jeno, who was awkwardly standing on the side with a cup in hand. "this is jeno, he's gonna be going to school with us. he's also one of the coolest guys around. jeno, this is hyuck, renjun and.. jaemin." </p><p>jaemin and jeno's eyes met for just a second, which was enough for jaemin to immediately recognize his face, causing panic to smear all over his system. </p><p>"hey, i ran into you today. well, more like you ran into me at the–" </p><p>"coffee shop! right, i saw you at the coffee shop! sorry again for your drink." </p><p>jeno was slightly taken aback, but he quickly understood jaemin's silent desperation and so he rolled with it without much overthinking. "right, the coffee shop! i already told you to stop apologizing." </p><p>jaemin simply forced a smile, feeling immensely relieved that he went along with it.</p><p>"so you guys already met? that's such a cool coincidence!" mark chuckled. </p><p>"i wouldn't say we met. we just bumped into each other and i spilled his drink." jaemin explained with a hint of nervousness in his voice. </p><p>"straight out of a movie." donghyuck commented sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. </p><p>mark quickly walked over to renjun who stood there quietly, greeting him with a quick hug. "i knew i forgot to do something!" </p><p>renjun laughed softly and backed away from his arms after returning the embrace quickly. "that's okay, mark." </p><p>"you've been hugging everyone except for me." donghyuck crossed his arms, plopping down on the couch grumpily. </p><p>"jealous?" mark smiled playfully as he sat next to him. </p><p>"it's your loss." donghyuck turned his head away. </p><p>"come here." mark pulled him into a backhug, despite donghyuck's feeble attempts at pretending to be mad, he was obviously enjoying the attention he was receiving from him. </p><p>"hey, you wanna get a drink?" jaemin looked over at jeno, his eyes communicating the underlining need for them to be alone, which jeno understood right away as he agreed and followed him out of the room.<br/>
they walked to the backyard, getting away from the crowd and all the noise. </p><p>"i don't see any drinks here." jeno joked around with a soft smile in an attempt to ease up the obvious tension that jaemin was feeling. </p><p>"thank you for not saying anything and for.. going with the flow." </p><p>"i'm used to doing that, trust me. on another note, are you okay?" </p><p>"yeah, i'm fine.. i would just really appreciate it if you could maybe not mention that to anyone? nobody is supposed to know that i was.. there." </p><p>"why would i tell anyone?" </p><p>"i don't know.. people talk, and i really don't want anyone to know about that. so.. please? can we keep this between us?" </p><p>"sure." jeno nodded, agreeing instantly, much to jaemin's surprise. </p><p>"just like that?" jaemin asked, a bit suspiciously. </p><p>"yeah." jeno shrugged. "you don't want anyone to know that you were a treatment center, and i'm not an asshole who preys on people's weaknesses. it's none of my business." </p><p>jaemin smiled with nothing but gratitude in his eyes. "thank you.. so much." </p><p>"hey, it's okay. but if you don't mind me asking, may i know the reason you were there?" jeno asked, hoping that his question wouldn't be too indiscreet. </p><p>"it's my little brother.. i was visiting him." jaemin admitted. "and i don't want people to know about him being there." </p><p>"why is he there? let me guess, drugs?" jeno sighed as he crossed his arms. </p><p>"oh, no! no, no.. he's just been going through a rough time. and honestly, i'm probably the worst brother in the world. i mean, he was suffering and i wasn't even there. he needed me and i had no clue in the world.. i was too busy living a dream that i came back to an utter nightmare." jaemin closed his eyes and tried to swallow back the tears that threatened to spill out. maybe it was the alcohol or the exhaustion of the day, but he felt comfortable opening up to jeno, despite the fact that he was basically a stranger, probably because he was the only one who knew about the situation. </p><p>"you can't be everywhere at the same time, you know?" jeno spoke up after a moment of silence. "hey, wanna go for a walk?"</p><p>jaemin agreed without much thought, following behind jeno as they walked out of the house and into the calm streets.</p><p>"wow, this neighborhood is really pretty." jeno commented as he looked around, admiring the view that seemed so foreign to what he was used to.</p><p>"where do you live?" jaemin asked after realizing that he knew nothing about the boy. </p><p>jeno stayed quiet for a moment, simply shrugging his shoulders as he chuckled to himself. "the wrong side of the tracks." </p><p>jaemin rose an eyebrow, but decided not to comment any further as he continued walking in silence. </p><p>"so, about your little brother. how long has he been at the center?" </p><p>"since the beginning of the summer. my parents hid it away from me, they only told me about it yesterday, can you believe that?" </p><p>"damn.. but, is he better now? how does he feel about being there?" jeno looked over at jaemin, who seemed more pleasing to the eye than the pretty view. </p><p>"he doesn't hate it at the center. in fact, he said he's got a friend now. but.. he went through a really rough time, and i'm afraid that things might have not really changed. he's still hiding things and.. i'm worried about him."</p><p>"the only thing you can do is let him know you're there. talk to him, and be there for him whenever he's ready to talk. you can't.. and you shouldn't force it out of him. he might never tell you how he feels, but just knowing that he has the possibility to talk about it with someone, especially his brother, will make a big difference. trust me, just take it easy with him." </p><p>"i guess you're right.. you seem to know what you're talking about." jaemin turned to give him a curious look. "why were you there?" </p><p>jeno smiled at the question. "believe it or not, i was also visiting someone. he's like my little brother, too." </p><p>"wow, i guess we're in the same situation then." jaemin laughed softly, amused by the amount of coincidences that have occurred so far.</p><p>"it's pretty similar but it's really not the same. samuel is very.. troublesome." </p><p>jaemin stopped in his tracks when he heard the familiar name. "samuel?" </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"i don't see any motorcycles here." jisung looked around the dark streets that were dimly lit by a broken street lamp. "samu, where are we going?"</p><p>samuel stopped after entering a dark alleyway, while jisung refused to move from his spot. "fine, i lied." he admitted with a sigh. "we're not seeing the race." </p><p>jisung frowned and shook his head. "why would you lie to me?" </p><p>"because i needed to get the fuck out of there! and i knew you wouldn't have followed me if i told you the truth. plus, jeno was at the race. he would've kicked my ass if he saw me." samuel kept moving forward. "you coming or what?" </p><p>"then what are we doing here?" jisung was still standing near the lamp, watching as samuel reached the end of the alley, walking over to a man who was leaning against a brick wall. </p><p>"samuel, what are you doing here? i thought you were hospitalized or some shit." the man spoke up with a surprised tone, greeting the younger boy with a fist bump. </p><p>"yeah, something like that. i'm fine though." samuel chuckled before looking around to make sure they were alone. "you got my stuff? the usual?" </p><p>the man looked at him hesitantly before checking his surroundings, raising an eyebrow upon seeing jisung's figure waiting by the end of the alleyway. "who's that guy? you know him?" </p><p>"yeah, he's a friend. he's cool." samuel affirmed, clearing his throat impatiently as he waited for the exchange to happen. "so?" </p><p>"i don't know, man.. jeno was pretty clear last time." </p><p>"what do you mean? jeno came to see you?" </p><p>"yeah, he came over here after your overdose and made it very clear that i shouldn't deal you anything no more. i don't wanna have any trouble with him." </p><p>"oh come on! i just need a little bit.. i need it. he won't know about it. be cool, man." </p><p>the man didn't respond, seemingly evaluating the situation in his mind, while jisung watched them without knowing what to do, staring at his feet instead without moving from his spot. </p><p>"he won't fucking hear about it, man! you're not the only dealer in this place, are you? i just wanna feel fucking good for tonight, is that too much to ask? i have money." samuel shoved his hand in his pocket and took out a few dollar bills, throwing them in the man's face. "i'm fucking paying, so give me my shit!" </p><p>the tone of samuel's voice got more desperate and suddenly more aggressive, which caused jisung to turn around and look at him with slightly panicked eyes. </p><p>the man gave him a dark glare and collected the money before grabbing samuel by the collar and slamming him against the wall, which made jisung quickly rush to his side. "hey! stop! leave him alone!"</p><p>"listen here, you little fucker. this is the last time you dare to disrespect me. jeno won't be able to protect you forever, so you better fucking watch yourself." the man finally backed away, leaving samuel to drop on the ground before throwing a small bag filled with pills next to him. "now, get the fuck outta here and don't come back." </p><p>"fuck, are you okay?" jisung knelt down to check on samuel, who was still catching his breath. </p><p>"yeah, i'm fine." samuel stood up with a bit of help from jisung before grabbing his bag and throwing his middle finger in the air while jisung dragged him away from the man. "yo, fuck you!" </p><p>"stop it, samu. let's fucking go." jisung frowned as he kept shoving him away, desperately trying to avoid a fight while samuel kept loudly cursing at the man until they were definitely out of sight. </p><p>"i missed you so much." samuel mumbled to himself as he held up the bag of pills in front of him, staring at it with dilated pupils. </p><p>jisung shook his head and quickened his footsteps, catching samuel's attention who ran after him. "hey! wait up! where are you going?" </p><p>"back to the center." jisung replied coldly without sparing him a second look. </p><p>"don't be so mad." samuel sighed and shoved the small bag in his pocket. "i don't wanna go back just yet." </p><p>"then don't go back. i'm leaving. alone."</p><p>"come on now.. hey, stop for a second." samuel sighed and held jisung's shoulders to keep him in place. "i know you're mad at me, i'm sorry." </p><p>"what the fuck were you thinking? that guy could've killed you!" jisung frowned and pushed samuel's hands away from his shoulders. </p><p>"i know, i wasn't thinking.. thanks for saving my ass, by the way." </p><p>"whatever, samu. you lied to me and you put the both of us in danger. i didn't sign up for this. and.. you promised you'd stop touching that shit. you're a fucking liar." jisung sighed, looking less mad and more disappointed in his friend before picking up the pace once again. </p><p>"i had a shitty day, okay?" samuel spoke up without moving. "another family came over to see me." </p><p>jisung stopped and crossed his arms before turning around to stare at his friend. "why didn't you tell me about it?" </p><p>"because it's fucking humiliating." samuel kicked a rock with his feet to avoid jisung's eyes. "it's like.. the fifth family i've seen this month, and they all hated me. i just.. hate feeling like this. i get my hopes up every time, i keep telling myself that maybe these are the ones, but it's never the case. i just wanna feel like i belong somewhere, like.. i'm wanted. i feel like some sort of displayed toy that people get to see and play with for a while but that no one wants to own. it just fucking sucks. i needed a distraction, i needed to feel good." </p><p>"you can feel good without these pills, samu.. you'll never get better if you keep turning back to them whenever you face a problem." </p><p>"you won't understand, jisung. you have a family who cares about you, a nice fucking mansion that you call a house.. i've got shit." </p><p>"you don't fucking know my family. my parents weren't even there when i tried to kill myself, it was the maid who came in to clean my room and found me in the bathtub. my parents think i'm fucking crazy, they're hiding me away from everyone because they don't want their friends to know about what i tried to do. they care more about their reputation than they ever did about me, or anyone else." </p><p>"fuck.. i'm sorry, jisung. i didn't mean to sound like such an asshole." </p><p>jisung simply shrugged and kept his back turned to him. </p><p>"i'm glad nothing happened to you. and.. i'm glad to have you as a friend. look, i'm sorry for tonight. i acted like a complete jerk and a fucking idiot." </p><p>"yeah, you did." </p><p>samuel took a few steps towards jisung before closing his eyes and opening his arms up. "let me make it up to you, let's go have some fun. please, forgive me?" </p><p>jisung stared at samuel for a moment before giving his arm a gentle punch and continuing to walk away. "you're stupid. but i forgive you." </p><p>samuel smiled triumphantly and wrapped an arm around jisung's shoulder as they walked together. "cool! there's a party nearby, let's crash it." </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"so they're friends, huh? damn, i usually don't believe in destiny and all that shit but i'm starting to think that maybe we were meant to meet each other." jeno chuckled, but jaemin's reaction wasn't as lighthearted. instead, he seemed more troubled than before. </p><p>"what did you mean when you said he was troublesome?" jaemin pressed for answers, feeling a lot more suspicious than he already was when jisung mentioned this new friendship to him. </p><p>"he's just.. he went through a lot." jeno shrugged, leaning against a wall as he studied jaemin's expression. "you seem worried." </p><p>"i am." jaemin sighed before facing jeno with a serious expression on his face. "jisung is in a very fragile state right now, and i don't want him to be surrounded by a bad influence." </p><p>"easy now. samuel is a good kid, he won't hurt him." </p><p>"you said it yourself, that he was trouble. tell me, why is he there? when i asked jisung, he skillfully avoided the question. i wonder why." jaemin asked with a subtle frown on his face. </p><p>after a moment of silence, jeno looked down at his feet with a defeated sigh. "drugs. he's in there because he's a.. recovering addict." </p><p>"fucking god." jaemin shook his head and turned around immediately, with his back facing jeno, who simply rose an eyebrow at his reaction.</p><p>"hey, don't judge him like that. you don't know him." </p><p>"i'm not usually one to judge others, but it's my little brother we're talking about here. so excuse me for being judgemental, but i can't afford the thought of losing him!" jaemin's tone was harsh but showed a vulnerability that stopped jeno from getting even more defensive. </p><p>there was a long silence as jaemin buried his face in his hands, feeling overwhelmed by the stressful day he just had. jeno stared at him quietly before deciding to break the silence, his voice low and full of candor. </p><p>"how do you think i felt when i found him on his bedroom floor, choking on his own spit?" jeno's words made jaemin freeze, his heart dropping at the thought. "he was shaking, he couldn't breathe. i didn't know what to do, it was the most frightening thing i ever had to experience. he's in there because he overdosed, and almost died. but he fucking survived. that kid went through hell and back, and only found a hostile environment and drugs as a support system, so he took it. can you really blame him?" </p><p>jaemin couldn't bring himself to reply, only feeling the pain in jeno's voice. </p><p>"i really wouldn't expect you to understand what it feels like to have nobody to turn to, or nowhere to go. sure, he may be a troublemaker but his heart is fucking golden. you see, when you feel like an outsider, when you feel like the system is rejecting you, you start rejecting the system and rebelling against everything. it's an endless loop." jeno sighed. "it doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do, but it's just a thing that happens. it doesn't mean that he's a bad person. and if your brother considers him as a friend, then i'm sure he has good reasons to be attached to him." </p><p>jeno placed a cigarette between his lips before lighting it up, taking a few steps away from jaemin's frozen body. "i guess i'll see you tomorrow. it was nice meeting you, jaemin." </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>yukhei's breath was heavy, his hands roaming over a girl's back and slipping inside her back pockets, their lips moving relentlessly against each other while the girl grinded on his lap, making it hard for him to focus on anything but his growing excitement and the loud music that was blasting behind the door of the room they were in. </p><p>"you got a condom?" the girl whispered breathlessly as she detached her lips from his.</p><p>"always." yukhei smirked and leaned down to grab his jacket, which was thrown on the floor right next to his shirt. </p><p>the girl kept moving against him, moving her kisses down to his neck while he struggled to search the pockets of his jacket. before he could reach for it, the door flew open, making them jump and turn around in surprise. </p><p>"what the fuck, dude?" yukhei complained as he stared at rocky's figure from the doorframe. </p><p>"there you are. i was looking for you." rocky cleared his throat as he watched the girl roll her eyes before getting off of yukhei's lap. "didn't mean to interrupt. but it's kind of urgent." </p><p>"forget it." the girl sighed and grabbed her shirt before putting it on. "maybe another time." </p><p>"sorry." yukhei sighed and watched her leave the room before facing rocky with a frown. "what? you got these girls to invite me here so you could cockblock me?" </p><p>rocky laughed softly and shook his head. "i didn't know you were getting down in here. i don't even know that girl. but uh, i think you might wanna come out. samuel is here." </p><p>"what?!" yukhei quickly stood up and wore his shirt as well as his jacket before leaving the room with rocky. "you saw him?" </p><p>"yeah, he was with another guy around his age. and.. he looks fucking gone, lucas." </p><p>"no way. this fucking idiot, he's lucky jeno isn't here, he would've killed him." yukhei sighed and walked out with rocky to the packed living room, where he spotted samuel dancing with a few other people, his eyes rolled back as he smiled widely. </p><p>yukhei quickly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the crowd, outside of rocky's house. "what the fuck are you doing here, samu?" </p><p>"hey! don't fucking touch me!" samuel pushed him away, a frown replacing his idyllic expression. "i'm here to party, isn't that fucking obvious?" </p><p>"you know you're not supposed to be here! does jeno know about this? huh? are you getting fucked up again?" yukhei harshly grabbed his arm once again, but rocky intervened, pulling them away from each other. </p><p>"i told you to stop fucking touching me!" samuel tried to go in for a punch, but rocky pushed him back easily. </p><p>"calm down, little boy. we're here to help you." rocky sighed and turned around to face yukhei, who was trying to calm his nerves down. </p><p>"you're so fucking lucky jeno isn't here right now." yukhei spoke up, pointing his finger towards samuel, who was struggling to stay up on his feet. </p><p>"i don't give a fuck! jeno isn't my fucking dad, alright? he has no control over me! nobody does! i do what i want!" samuel stumbled on his feet, but rocky held him by the shoulders to keep him from falling. </p><p>"what are we gonna do with him?" rocky asked yukhei, who was taking deep breaths as he tried to figure out the best way to handle the solution. </p><p>"wait.. where's your other friend?" </p><p> </p><p>"hello?" chenle's voice could be heard on the other side of the phone, making jisung's heart stop for a few seconds as he froze, suddenly losing the ability to speak. </p><p>from the tone of his voice, it was obvious that chenle had just woken up. "who's this?" he continued, sounding more irritated by the second. "if it's another stupid prank, i swear to go–"</p><p>"it's me." jisung replied quickly, his voice trembling ever so slightly. </p><p>"jisung?" the irritation in chenle's voice seemed to completely vanish as he muttered his name, almost in disbelief. "why are you calling me? it's one in the morning, and we have school tomorrow.. why are you awake?" </p><p>chenle sat up on his bed, rubbing his puffy eyes to shake his sleepiness away, feeling worried from the lack of response. "jisung? are you okay?" </p><p>"no.. not really." jisung chuckled softly. "i'm in a stranger's house, and i took some drugs." </p><p>"what?!" chenle's eyes went wide as he almost jolted up his bed. "jisung, that's not funny!" </p><p>"it kind of is.. i mean, i didn't even want to take them at first, but.. now i can call you and blame every stupid thing i say on them. isn't that funny? or does it just make me a big coward?" </p><p>"jisung, what.. what do you mean you're at a stranger's house? and.. drugs? where are you exactly? do you have a street name, anything?" </p><p>"i missed hearing your voice."</p><p>"jisung, answer me! i'll come get you. just.. send me your location." </p><p>"no.. just listen to me, okay?" jisung sighed. "after the fight we had, i felt like a total idiot. you have no idea how much pain it caused me.. to be away from you. i just wanted to say that i'm sorry. for being such a shitty best friend. i'm sorry for hurting you, i know i said some things that i shouldn't have said, but i didn't mean them. and i get it if you hate me forever. i would, too." </p><p>"i don't hate you, jisung.. i could never hate you. you're scaring me right now, let me come and get you." </p><p>"no, just stay home and go back to sleep. i just wanted to say sorry. and.. i miss you." </p><p>"jisung, i.. i miss you too." </p><p>"okay, wow.. i really hope i'm not hallucinating this whole conversation. that would suck." </p><p>"you're not.. but i'm worried about you, sungie. does anyone know you're outside? how can i.. help?" </p><p>"oh no, i'm not supposed to be outside right now. in fact, i'm not even supposed to be in the country right now. no, i'm supposed to be in new york, and i'll come back at the end of the week." </p><p>"what are you talking about, jisung?" </p><p>"i'm at a treatment center. i've been there since the beginning of the summer. but no one is supposed to know so.. keep the secret."</p><p>"why.. why are you there?" </p><p>"i have to go, samuel is coming so just.. go back to sleep. sorry for waking you up, i'll be okay."</p><p>"what? jisung, wait–"</p><p>"i love you, lele." jisung hung up the phone and quickly turned it off before facing his friend who was coming towards him, with two older guys following him. </p><p>"there you are, i thought you got lost." samuel smiled and turned around to face rocky and yukhei, who was still glaring at him. </p><p>"okay, at least they're both safe." rocky stated optimistically, which simply made yukhei nod. </p><p>"i guess, yeah. i'll take them both back to the center, thank you for.. letting me know." </p><p>"of course, man. let me help, i'll ride with one while you ride with the other. it would be easier that way." </p><p>"okay. samuel, you're coming with me." yukhei walked over to where his motorcycle was parked. </p><p>"i don't wanna go with you! i wanna go with rocky, he's nice to me. you're a little bitch." samuel chuckled and looked over at jisung, who seemed completely out of it, his eyes closing on their own. </p><p>"watch your mouth." yukhei rolled his eyes. </p><p>rocky helped jisung up gently, while yukhei picked samuel up with ease as he placed him on the seat, avoiding a few kicks to the face before they both hopped on their motorcycles and drove away towards the center. </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"hey, where's jeno?" mark asked from the couch after jaemin returned back to the party on his own. </p><p>"he left." jaemin replied shortly, obviously still shaken up by the conversation they just had. </p><p>"you okay?" renjun gave him a concerned look, immediately noticing that something was off. </p><p>"yeah, i'm fine. i just need a drink." jaemin forced a smile before walking away from his friends and making his way to the bar, where he immediately poured himself a drink and chugged it down instantly, enjoying the burning sensation in his throat. </p><p>"did you guys fight?" </p><p>jaemin turned around to look at mark, who had followed him all the way there. "no, it's just been.. a pretty rough day." </p><p>"you wanna talk about it?" mark slowly took the drink away from jaemin's hand, who complained loudly. </p><p>"give it back, mark.." jaemin sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. </p><p>"not before you tell me what's bothering you." mark set the drink down, and jaemin gave him a small nod. </p><p>"there's too much noise here. let's go upstairs."</p><p> </p><p>once in donghyuck's empty room, jaemin managed to spill his heart out to mark, which made him feel a lot lighter than before. </p><p>"jisung is gonna be okay, nana. he's going through a rough patch but it's gonna be okay. you're an amazing brother, and i'm sure he knows that you love and care about him. stop being so hard on yourself, okay?" mark moved a hand to stroke jaemin's hair, who simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the gesture. </p><p>"mhm.. you always know what to say, markie. thank you." jaemin smiled softly, giving mark a curious look. "i've been complaining for like an hour, let's talk about something else. how was your summer?"</p><p>"oh, it was okay. remember my parents' beach house?" </p><p>"yeah, we used to go there and get wasted by the beach." jaemin chuckled as he recalled the memories they had attached to this place. </p><p>"i locked myself in there and worked on some songs. i think i might be able to release an album this year if the recording process goes well." mark admitted with a smile, which made jaemin gasp and engulf him in a tight hug. </p><p>"oh my god, mark! that's so amazing!" jaemin encouraged him with a bright smile. </p><p>"yeah, it is! but let's see how it goes. what about you? you seemed to have a blast from all the pictures you posted. you were.. glowing. like always, but.. you looked more happy." mark cleared his throat. </p><p>"i.. actually met someone there." jaemin smiled, biting his lower lip as he awaited mark's reaction. but instead, mark simply gave him a curious frown. </p><p>"oh.. really? who?"</p><p>"his name is johnny. he's a few years older but it's nothing creepy, and.. he's just so.. great. every moment i spent with him was magical." </p><p>mark clenched his jaw and turned his head away when jaemin gave him a curious look. "johnny, huh?" </p><p>"hey, what?" jaemin sighed and wrapped his arms around mark's shoulders to get him to turn around. "what's wrong?" </p><p>"what's wrong?" mark chuckled and turned around to face him. "are you two together?" </p><p>"well.. it's not official, but.. we could be. i mean, we haven't talked about it yet. why are you aski–"</p><p>"most of my songs are about you." mark blurted out without much thought, which made jaemin blink in confusion. </p><p>"about me? mark, i–"</p><p>"thinking about you is what gave me the inspiration to write so many songs." mark continued, without taking his eyes off of jaemin. </p><p>"oh.. wow. i would love to hear them, i'm glad i could inspire you." jaemin smiled, feeling touched by the compliment. </p><p>mark scoffed and shook his head. "you really don't get it, do you?" </p><p>jaemin stayed quiet, and mark gave up on trying to control himself as he slowly placed a hand on jaemin's cheek before pulling him closer and locking their lips for a soft and gentle kiss, which left jaemin frozen for a few seconds before he returned it a bit hesitantly. </p><p>the kiss grew more and more passionate as mark allowed himself to go further, nibbling on jaemin's lower lip and earning a muffled sigh from the boy, who ran his hands through his hair, both of them unaware of the fact that someone was watching them through the door, with a clenched heart and tearful eyes. </p><p>"stop.. stop." jaemin pushed mark off of him and caught his breath, his mind still hazy from the kiss. </p><p>"sorry, i.. i didn't mean to–"</p><p>"we can't.. we can't do that, mark. not to him." jaemin shook his head and quickly stood up from the bed, leaving mark just as dazed and confused as he was. </p><p>"jaemin, wait–"</p><p>without looking back, jaemin left the room and ran downstairs. he exited donghyuck's house and rushed back home. all he needed was a break from this day, and a long night of sleep. </p><p> </p><p>who knew what tomorrow had in store?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. palpitations.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay hi, i know it's been a VERY long time but i've been struggling with a severe case of not being able to write anything at all for months. i'm really sorry for the wait, if anyone is still reading this. but it's here and it's pretty long so enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>staring at the mirror, jeno almost didn't recognize his own reflection with the chic uniform that neatly fit around his body.</p><p>the white dress shirt wasn't much different from the ones he would normally own, except for the high quality of the fabric that was soft on his skin. the blazer was black, with red lines defining the lapel, giving it a nice contrast. the unstructured nature of the blazer made it more comfortable as it nicely followed the shape of jeno's shoulders, giving it a less formal appearance, which jeno was quite thankful for, with black pants and a striped red and black tie to finish up the look.</p><p>"you look wonderful." the small voice of his mother made him turn around with a smile on his face.</p><p>"you think so? doesn't it look.. ridiculous on me?" jeno chuckled to himself while his mother made her way next to him in front of the mirror.</p><p>"of course not. it suits you." she smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "looks like that school has its official colors, huh?"</p><p>"looks like it." jeno nodded before stepping away from the mirror. "do you want me to make breakfast?"</p><p>"oh, no. it's your first day, i wouldn't want you to be late. especially not there, that school is a big deal. just go, lucas is waiting for you outside."</p><p>"alright. i'll see you later." jeno left a quick kiss on her cheek before swinging his backpack over his shoulder and leaving his apartment to join yukhei who was waiting outside the building, leaning on his motorcycle.</p><p>"looking good or what?" yukhei smiled as he turned around on himself, allowing jeno to admire how the uniform looked on him.</p><p>"like always. it looks nice on you." jeno complimented with a hint of amusement in his voice as he walked over to the motorcycle.</p><p>"on you too! we look fucking cool." yukhei hopped on his motorcycle as jeno did the same, getting behind him. "you nervous?"</p><p>"a little." jeno shrugged and tossed the helmet over to yukhei, who wore it quickly before starting the engine. "but i'm ready."</p><p>yukhei smiled upon hearing his friend's response before taking off towards their newest destination. "private school, here we come.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"look who's finally decided to join us for breakfast."</p><p>jaemin was surprised when he heard his father's voice while getting down the stairs, even more surprised to see him sitting at the table along with his mother and calmly eating his breakfast, in full costume. since forever, it seemed like that suit and tie were permanently attached to his skin.</p><p>"when did you get here?" jaemin asked without much sympathy, obviously still very upset by the whole jisung situation, and not to mention the more... personal reasons.</p><p>"i got here late last night. why aren't you wearing your uniform?" mr. na asked with a curious tone as he noticed that jaemin still had his messy bed hair and was still wearing his sweatpants.</p><p>"i'm not very thrilled about going back to school, if you must know. but it's not like you actually care about how your kids are feeling, right?" the snarky remark didn't go unnoticed, and jaemin earned an irritated frown from his father.</p><p>"enough with this already. your mother mentioned your little breakdown yesterday. you better drop it, and i mean it. your brother is coming back home at the end of the week, and everything will go back to normal."</p><p>"back to normal? it's not like anything in this house is ever normal now, is it?"</p><p>"always so dramatic. you better not act stupid and mention your brother's situation to anyone today. no one should be aware, do you hear me? this is for his own sake."</p><p>"i won't say anything. that's not what i'm worried about." jaemin frowned and crossed his arms. "i just want my brother to be okay."</p><p>"good. now go get ready, you're gonna be late for your first day." his father showed him a smile, which jaemin evidently didn't return as he simply walked back upstairs to his room where he reluctantly got ready.</p><p>if jaemin was sure of one thing, it was the fact that this day wouldn't be an easy one to get through. especially since he had to face one person in particular, a person he couldn't even look in the eyes after what had happened between him and mark yesterday.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"donghyuck? are you alright, dear?" the worried voice of his mother made donghyuck snap back to reality, making him realize that he had been repeatedly stabbing his fork into his waffle without actually taking the smallest bite.</p><p>"oh.. yes. just some first day of school stress." donghyuck obviously lied, not wishing to worry his mother even more than she already was.</p><p>"oh, you don't have to worry. this is your last year as a high school student, and you have so much more things to discover. i can't believe you've grown up so much already." his mother smiled almost nostalgically, as if she had to hold herself back from crying. she had a tendency of being a little too sentimental, a trait that donghyuck most certainly inherited from her.</p><p>donghyuck also had to hold himself back from crying, but for entirely different reasons. "yeah.. i'll try not to worry too much."</p><p>"eat something, dear. i hope you're not falling back into old habits." she looked at him with a lot of concern, which only dampened up donghyuck's mood even further.</p><p>"i'm fine, mom. i have to go now, i don't want to be late." donghyuck stood up rapidly, his plate still completely full as he rushed out to the car, not leaving her any more time to ask any other questions.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"renjun, have you explored your options yet? i hope you've already thought about your college applications. you know that time waits for no one." his father spoke from behind the large newspaper that covered his face.</p><p>"yes, father. i actually spent my summer working on my applications and i should be able to finalize them way before any deadlines." renjun stated pridefully, awaiting his father's response.</p><p>"you should have been able to finalize them by now. i expect you to know that hard work should be consistent." his father replied dismissively, which made renjun frown, feeling as if all of his efforts were in vain.</p><p>"i don't think renjun has to worry! he's president of the student council and his grades have always been excellent. i bet every university around the globe is waiting for the right time to snatch him away." sicheng jumped to his little brother's defense, much to renjun's appreciation as he showed him a grateful smile.</p><p>"well.. i'm not hungry anymore and i should be there a lot earlier since i have to give a tour of the school as a way to welcome the new students." renjun excused himself from the table. "sicheng, you're still dropping me off, right?"</p><p>"coming!" sicheng nodded and stood up, following renjun into the car. "i hope you're not too bothered by what dad said. i know he doesn't always show his emotions but i bet he's proud of you."</p><p>"thank you for defending me like that. and.. i know, i did my best. that should be enough, right?" renjun was hesitant in the way he spoke, but felt comforted by his older brother's bright smile.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>despite being used to it, waking up to the sound of an empty apartment wasn't so pleasant to him today. especially at times like these when all he wanted was to have his best friend by his side.</p><p>after getting ready, mark sipped on his black coffee while staring at his phone, hopeful to receive a reply to the multitude of calls and texts he sent to jaemin. but whenever a notification popped up on his screen, it was never the one mark was hoping for. still, mark decided to send him one last voice message before making his way to school.</p><p>"hey.. i know you probably don't want to talk to me right now, i picked it up from all the calls and texts you've been ignoring. but you can't ignore me forever, jaemin. i'll see you later at school, and this is just a warning that you won't be able to avoid me. i won't let you. we need to talk. okay.. see you later. love you."</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>jaemin scoffed once he heard mark's voice through the phone, feeling all the more annoyed and disgruntled by his words. if mark seriously thought that things would go as he pleased, then he certainly must have not known jaemin all that well.</p><p>the sound of the car door opening made jaemin turn around to face the chauffeur, slipping out of his initial annoyance to give him a small smile before stepping out of the limousine.</p><p>as expected, all eyes were already on him, which no longer had any visible impact on him. in a way, jaemin had gotten used to the attention, which wasn't uncomfortable most of the time. especially seeing all the newcomer first year students who have undoubtedly heard all about na jaemin and the rumors that surrounded him and his close circle of friends.</p><p>"jaemin!" chenle stopped him before he could enter the school building, and jaemin showed him a friendly smile.</p><p>"oh, hi chenle." jaemin greeted him like he normally would to avoid drawing any suspicion. chenle was jisung's best friend since forever, and although they've had a recent fallout, jaemin still didn't wish to blatantly lie to him about jisung's situation.</p><p>"can we.. talk somewhere a bit more private?" chenle asked in a hushed tone as he looked around to take notice of the crowded space around them, with students standing by the stairs, outside the gates, and all over the place.</p><p>"uhm.. sure." jaemin gave him a quick nod before following him a little further to the gardens, away from all the action. "what's wrong?"</p><p>"look, i... i know about jisung." chenle admitted with a sigh, which made jaemin stare at him with surprise written all over his face.</p><p>"what do you mean?" jaemin still tried to be careful with his words in case he somehow misunderstood what chenle meant.</p><p>"he called me in the middle of the night yesterday, and he told me everything." chenle held back from giving him the full details, leaving out the part where he mentioned being drugged up at a stranger's house. even though he knew he probably shouldn't lie to jaemin about such a serious subject, he still couldn't betray jisung's trust like that. "maybe not everything but.. he told me he was at some sort of treatment center and that i should keep the secret. but i don't understand. why is he there, jaemin?"</p><p>jaemin sighed longly, he could feel chenle's worry and could understand it better than anyone. but it was still hard for him, he couldn't bring himself to face the reality of his younger brother's situation right now. "i.. i think it's better if he tells you about it himself."</p><p>chenle gave him a small nod, noticing the sorrow in jaemin's usual sparkling eyes. "yes.. just give me the address, and i'll go see him right now."</p><p>jaemin shook his head. "no, you can't skip your classes right now. i'm only giving it to you if you promise to go over there after all your classes are done."</p><p>"fine.. i promise."</p><p>in a way, chenle was also like a little brother to jaemin, and it was apparent in the way he treated the younger boy.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"wow.. even the outside of this school probably costs more than our last one's entire establishment." yukhei looked around like a child in a candy store, eyeing the people who were giving them curious stares with a playful smirk. "and the people here are hot, too! i think we've just hit the jackpot, my friend."</p><p>jeno rolled his eyes, a small smile on his lips as he tried to shake off the increasing anxiousness as well as the excitement that took over him as his steps lead him inside the prestigious building. jeno couldn't deny that this place really lived up to its name and high expectations.</p><p>as soon as the both of them walked through the door, they saw a small petite figure waiting for them in the middle of the hallways, a stack of papers pressed against his chest. jeno recognized him immediately.</p><p>"hello, my name is huang renjun, i'm the student council president and i'm here to welcome you into our school." renjun smiled politely, but it was obvious that he had to force it.</p><p>"oh hey! i'm jeno, i saw you at the party yesterday. remember, with mark?"</p><p>"i know who you are. it's nice to see you again under a brighter light. you actually left rather quickly."</p><p>"oh, yeah.. i just had to get back home." jeno cleared his throat as he recalled his little conversation with jaemin.</p><p>"hey, i'm yukhei. but you can call me lucas." yukhei joined the conversation with a wide smile.</p><p>"why would i do that?" renjun rose an eyebrow, and yukhei simply stared at him without really knowing what to say.</p><p>"well, uh... because it's what everyone calls me?"</p><p>"i'll just stick with yukhei." renjun looked over his papers before handing a few of them over to the two boys. "this is our schedule, and a plan of the school. i will be giving the both of you a tour today, but i can't be your daily guide. still, i'm sure the plan will be plenty to help you move around."</p><p>"thanks.." jeno smiled a bit awkwardly. it was obvious that renjun took his role very seriously, but he could feel that something wasn't right, and that it had nothing to do with paperwork.</p><p>"we have a fixed class group?!" yukhei's voice erupted in loud confusion as he stared at their schedule with bulged eyes.</p><p>"yes. i assume it was different at your old school?"</p><p>"yeah! we didn't really end up with the same people in the same classes most of the time." yukhei clarified.</p><p>"well, it's different here. i hope it won't be too much of an issue. if you have trouble settling in or adjusting to the system here, you can always come to me. i'd be very happy to help. now then, if you could please follow me." renjun started walking away without warning, and the two boys hesitated for a moment before following behind him, assuming that the tour was starting right away.</p><p>yukhei felt rather conflicted by renjun's switch between being very cold and professional and being rather comforting and helpful. it was almost intimidating, yet very intriguing at the same time.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>jisung opened his eyes once he heard a few knocks on his door, making him shift on his bed with an atrocious headache banging on each side of his skull. "who's there?"</p><p>"knock, knock." samuel stepped inside the room with a sheepish grin and a plate filled with croissants and muffins. "i came to check on you.. breakfast in bed?"</p><p>"ugh.." jisung simply smacked a pillow over his head to shelter himself from the light that was now penetrating his room.</p><p>with a sigh, samuel closed the door behind him and set the plate on the table, before taking a seat on the floor. "are you okay? i hope you didn't have a bad trip or anything.."</p><p>"even if i did, i wouldn't know the difference between a good and a bad trip. that was my first time ever." jisung's words were muffled by the pillow.</p><p>"well.. how are you feeling right now? do you need anything?"</p><p>"i need to be on my own and sleep."</p><p>"are you mad at me?"</p><p>"no.. probably? i don't know. my head hurts."</p><p>"jisung.. look, i just wanted to apologize again. i shouldn't have done what i did yesterday, i was so out of line. i put the both of us in danger and i acted like a total asshole. i'm sorry you had to see that side of me.." samuel sighed regretfully. "i should've stopped you when you asked me to take a pill.. i shouldn't have touched them in the first place."</p><p>"you didn't force me to." jisung cut him off before sitting up on his bed with a grunt. "is this what a hangover feels like?"</p><p>"that's.. probably a little worse than a hangover."</p><p>"i never even had a sip of alcohol before and i jumped right into drugs." jisung chuckled to himself before rubbing his eyes. "never again."</p><p>"yeah.. never." samuel took a few steps closer before sitting near him on the bed. "i'm just so glad that nothing terrible happened and that you're okay."</p><p>jisung glanced over at him before placing a hand on his stomach, feeling how it was painfully grumbling as a way of begging for food. "well.. i could use one or two of these muffins.. maybe then i'll see if i can forgive you or not."</p><p>"bonus point for orange juice?"</p><p>"make that cream coffee."</p><p>"on it." samuel smiled and left the room in quest for coffee while jisung reached over to munch on the muffins.</p><p>as he waited for samuel to return, jisung's thoughts were only filled with one thing; the call between him and chenle.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>after stopping by his locker, jaemin was ready to finally get to his classroom. a part of him was excited to catch up with his old classmates and get to know the new ones, although he wasn't so thrilled about seeing jeno again, given the little argument they had yesterday. but if anything, jaemin simply wanted to avoid mark as much as he could during this day, which was going well so far.</p><p>until...</p><p>"jaemin." mark was standing right there when jaemin closed his locker door, staring him down with his brooding eyes.</p><p>without responding, jaemin simply shot him a glare before turning back to leave. but mark was quicker as he gently grabbed his wrist.</p><p>"so you're really avoiding me... what, does that mean we won't even say hi to each other anymore?"</p><p>"hi." jaemin's voice was dry as he freed his wrist from mark's grip.</p><p>with a long sigh, mark placed his arm against jaemin's locker as he leaned closer to him. "look.. i'm sorry for yesterday."</p><p>"let's not talk about it."</p><p>"but we have to talk, jaemin."</p><p>"not here! anyone could hear us." jaemin shouted in a whisper, translating his frustration as he looked around.</p><p>"i don't really care. i need you to hear me out, okay?" mark took a deep breath. "i'm sorry. i know i shouldn't have kissed you out of nowhere. i took you by surprise and it was.. totally inappropriate of me. but... i couldn't hide it anymore. you were going off about this surfer dude, john or whatever the fuck his name was and i just... i couldn't keep my feelings to myself anymore."</p><p>"first of all, his name is johnny, not john. and he's not a surfer, he's a college professor."</p><p>"well, you didn't mention that."</p><p>"it's not like you gave me a chance to! mark, you can't just kiss me out of the blue and expect everything to be the same!"</p><p>"you kissed me back." mark's words made jaemin speechless for a second. "am i wrong? it's not like i was the only one who wanted it.. you didn't stop me. in fact, it seemed like you enjoyed it. if you weren't so into it, i would've stopped right away. you can't put all the blame on me."</p><p>jaemin was struck with hesitation. mark did have a point, and jaemin knew it. "we.. we can't, mark. we can't do that.. not to him."</p><p>mark's eyebrows knitted together in a confused frown. "i thought you said you two weren't even official. it's not like you're his boyfriend or anything, so.. if you feel guilty, you shouldn't. because what we did wasn't wrong."</p><p>"of course it was! i'm not talking about johnny, you idiot.."</p><p>"then who are you talking about?"</p><p>jaemin felt his breath getting stuck in his throat when his eyes met donghyuck's own as the boy walked down the halls in the direction where mark and jaemin were standing.</p><p>normally, donghyuck would run up to jaemin and hold him in his arms, the two of them hugging it out like they always did while laughing their hearts out joyously simply from each other's presence. normally, donghyuck would show up with jaemin's favorite coffee in hand and the two of them would sit by the stairs outside the school and rate every passerby's outfit while waiting for their class to start.</p><p>but this time, only a frozen breeze could be felt between the best friends once donghyuck walked past them without a smile and without a word, his eyes painted with an emotion that was hard to decipher, but one that made jaemin's heart squeeze in his chest.</p><p>mark's eyes followed jaemin's gaze, landing on donghyuck with a curious look in his eyes. "wait.. are you talking about hyuck? but why–"</p><p>before he could finish his question, the loud ringing of the bell resonated through the entire school, announcing the start of their first class of the day. without another word, jaemin's feet moved on their own towards their classroom, leaving mark behind.</p><p>students were still making their way inside, choosing their seats and chatting with their friends. jaemin received a few smiles and friendly greetings from some of his classmates, and he returned them a little absentmindedly since he was way too focused on donghyuck who was now standing in front of a desk that was already taken, occupied by a new but familiar face.</p><p>"hey." donghyuck greeted, his hand resting on the desk.</p><p>"hi. you're donghyuck, right? i saw you at the party." jeno smiled from his seat.</p><p>"yeah. and you're... whatever. can you move? that's my seat." donghyuck was obviously very irritated by the way he spoke, almost as if he was already running out of patience.</p><p>"uhm.. are seats assigned here?" jeno was confused as he looked around to see that everyone in the room was already following their conversation.</p><p>"no, we're not in kindergarten anymore. but you're new here so let me explain things to you. when i tell you to move, you move. okay?" donghyuck smiled, a smile that was anything but friendly.</p><p>"sorry but i'm kinda saving a seat for my friend and i don't really feel like moving. i came here first." jeno was trying to keep his calm, despite being irked by the condescending tone that donghyuck was using on him.</p><p>"hey, hyuck? why don't you sit next to me?" jaemin chimed in, now standing next to donghyuck, who frowned immediately upon seeing him.</p><p>"you.. stay out of it." donghyuck turned back to face jeno before stepping closer to the desk and completely ignoring jaemin's presence. "look, i don't care if you're waiting for your friend. i don't care what you do as long as you get out of my way."</p><p>"i don't understand why you're being like this.. it's not even a big deal. you can sit anywhere else, this room is big enough." jeno shrugged, only increasing donghyuck's annoyance.</p><p>"not a big deal? you don't get to tell me what is or isn't a big deal. i don't know how things worked back in your.. semblance of a school, but here, we have rules. we have a system. there are people you shouldn't cross, and trust me when i tell you that i'm the last person you would want to cross right now. so do yourself a favor and get out of my face." donghyuck's tone was supercilious, contrasting completely with his big doe eyes and long lashes that made him look.. almost lovely, almost innocent. but jeno now recognized that he was far from that.</p><p>"what's going on here?" renjun stepped in between them with a concerned frown, followed by yukhei. the two of them had stayed behind since yukhei still had some questions about the school.</p><p>"oh, great. the class president is finally here." donghyuck sighed in exasperation. "tell this guy, whoever he thinks he is, to move out of my seat."</p><p>jaemin frowned at donghyuck's words, glancing over at jeno who stayed silent for a while before defending rightfully. "i came here first. i don't see why i should move."</p><p>"you're being dramatic, donghyuck. jeno has every right to sit wherever he pleases if he was here first. i really don't see the issue here." renjun explained calmly. "just find another seat."</p><p>"you don't see the issue?" donghyuck scoffed as he glared at the circle that was now surrounding him while mark had just stepped inside the classroom. "fine. you know what? you're all getting on my last nerve today."</p><p>with that, donghyuck made his way to the front of the room, where he loudly pulled his chair and slammed his books against the table. all in dramatic fashion.</p><p>"thanks.." jeno looked up at renjun, who simply gave him a nod before going to regain his own seat.</p><p>yukhei rose an eyebrow and plopped down on the chair next to jeno. "what's his deal?"</p><p>"i don't even know." jeno shrugged and looked over to jaemin, who was still standing there, eyes locked on donghyuck's figure with what seemed like regret and guilt in his eyes.</p><p>"hyuck.." jaemin mumbled as he stepped towards him, a nervous feeling stirring up in his stomach. "is something wrong?"</p><p>donghyuck couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at jaemin's question. "why would anything be wrong?"</p><p>"i don't know.." jaemin sighed, his fear that donghyuck might be aware of what happened between him and mark only getting intensified from the way he was acting. "you didn't say hi, and you kinda.. ignored me. you seem off."</p><p>"i'm just mad. you know, that happens." donghyuck stared at him with the same indescribable gaze. "why? do you have something to tell me?"</p><p>the dithering could be read all over jaemin's face as he faced an inner conflict right then and there. he wasn't sure whether donghyuck was aware of the kiss or not, and even if the way he acted strongly suggested it, jaemin was overwhelmed by the fear of being wrong. and although he knew he'd have to tell him about what happened eventually, jaemin simply couldn't bring himself to do it in the moment.</p><p>"no.." jaemin finally breathed out under donghyuck's intense gaze, while mark stood a little farther from them, hearing their conversation clearly.</p><p>"i see." donghyuck turned around, his expression darkening. "the teacher is gonna be here any second. and i don't really feel like talking right now."</p><p>"yeah, i understand.. see you at lunch?" jaemin wasn't relieved at all when he only received a hum as a response, but he still walked back to his seat, glaring at mark in the process.</p><p>it wasn't long before the chatter and whispers in the classroom came to an end. with the arrival of their new teacher, everyone settled down quietly. and just as jaemin was catching his breath and trying to clear his mind, everything went back to a blur once he saw the person stepping inside the classroom.</p><p>jaemin could recognize those eyes anywhere. that face, that smile, that voice. normally, jaemin's heart would flutter. but in that moment, it felt like it was ripping out of his chest.</p><p>"hello everyone. i'm seo youngho, your new english teacher. but i'm not really fond of formalities, so please, call me johnny." johnny greeted with a smile that made everyone turn their full attention to him.</p><p>"johnny..?" donghyuck muttered quietly to himself, the familiar name striking him. he immediately turned around to stare at jaemin, and the petrified expression he had on was enough to confirm donghyuck's suspicions, as well as mark's, who was also now staring at jaemin with a concerned frown.</p><p>"oh.. my god." johnny breathed out with disbelief once his eyes met jaemin's wide ones, making the entirety of the students stare at him with confusion, some even turning around to look back at where he was staring. "i.. i just now realized how many of you are already here! for the first day, i don't normally expect many people to be present since it's a rather light day in terms of school work. but i'm pleased to see so many of you here today, i'm sure we can work wonderfully together!"</p><p>jaemin felt lightheaded, and suddenly everything around him was spinning.</p><p>without a word, jaemin got up from his seat and got out of the classroom, under everyone's inquisitive gaze.</p><p>jaemin needed some air, he needed to clear his head and most importantly, he needed to be away from him to process the situation.</p><p>finding shelter in one of the many bathrooms around, jaemin allowed himself to slowly slide down the door onto the cold floor with a hand over his mouth. </p><p>-⌔-</p><p>by storming out of the classroom so unexpectedly, jaemin became the main topic of conversation amongst everyone in the classroom for a short moment, with people speculating all sorts of things about his sudden and abrupt exit.</p><p>the general conclusion was that jaemin simply felt sick, which brushed off any more rumors from circulating. and although the rest of the students forgot about it rather quickly, jaemin's group of friends, however, were still very much curious and concerned, especially a certain pair who kept staring at each other across the cafeteria table with unspoken words.</p><p>"it's been two hours and he's still nowhere to be found.. i wonder what's gotten into him." renjun expressed his concerns while circling his fork around his plate. "donghyuck, do you know anything?"</p><p>"no." donghyuck was quick to respond, his eyes still plunged into mark's dark orbs.</p><p>jeno could feel the tension between them, and it was rather obvious that something was going on. they seemed to be communicating telepathically, their eyes translating way more than jeno could comprehend.</p><p>"maybe he felt sick. or maybe he went home?" jeno looked over at renjun, feeding into the conversation.</p><p>"maybe.. i just hope he's okay." renjun sighed and mark finally diverted his gaze towards someone other than donghyuck.</p><p>"hey, you two. how do you like your first day here so far?" mark smiled, and although jeno could tell he was still bothered, he also knew that the smile wasn't fake in any way. not that he would expect anything different from mark.</p><p>"my favorite part is the food. i mean, i knew the menu here would be like.. totally extravagant and five stars worthy, but it's still somehow better than what i had expected!" yukhei smiled while stuffing his mouth with the delicious pasta, and renjun couldn't help but smile in amusement.</p><p>"not to mention that we had a wonderful guide to show us around and teach us about the beautiful architecture of the place." jeno pointed at renjun with his chin as he spoke.</p><p>"it's my pleasure." renjun playfully bowed his head, noticeably less tense than he was this morning. as if he was already comfortable with the new faces.</p><p>"can't say the same about everyone, though." jeno took a sip of his water while glancing at donghyuck, who rolled his eyes with a huff.</p><p>"i don't understand why you're even sitting here with us. this is our table." donghyuck had a small frown plastered on his face.</p><p>"they're my friends. so this is their table, too." mark clarified rather coldly, making donghyuck scoff and the bubble of tension explode.</p><p>"friends? i don't think you're qualified to know anything about that word."</p><p>"what's that supposed to mean?" mark was now picking up the same expression on his face.</p><p>"guys, stop." renjun tried to stop the situation from escalating further, but it was jeno who spoke up, much to everyone's surprise.</p><p>"look, i don't know what i've done to make you dislike me so much, but i have nothing against you. so.. there's no need to fight, i was leaving anyway." jeno stood up, but mark shook his head.</p><p>"you don't have to go anywhere, jeno."</p><p>"it's fine. i'm done with my food anyway. i wanna explore the school a bit more." jeno smiled before leaving the table in silence.</p><p>"are you happy?" mark asked once he turned his attention back to donghyuck.</p><p>"not even close." donghyuck rolled his eyes before standing up as well. "i've lost my appetite."</p><p>yukhei cleared his throat after the two boys walked away. "so.. do you think we could split donghyuck's food? his plate is full and wasting food is simply unethical."</p><p>yukhei's smile was enough to slightly appease the tension that left along with donghyuck, while renjun and mark simply smiled at him before digging in.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>chenle couldn't stand another second without checking up on jisung. he was way too worried, way too bothered by the late phone call they had to stay still in his seat and listen to jaemin's condition.</p><p>with the address of the center now in his possession, chenle hoped that jaemin would forgive him for skipping his classes and going against his wishes, but chenle simply had to see jisung. and he couldn't wait to do so.</p><p>as he stepped out of the taxi cab, chenle was met with the immensity of the building, and something in him feared the worst when he walked inside the institution.</p><p>"hello, i'm here to visit na jisung." chenle informed politely while the woman at the reception gave him a smile.</p><p>"i'm sorry, but his visits are restricted and strictly reserved for family."</p><p>"i am family... i'm his brother. na jaemin." chenle put on his most convincing smile, hoping that jaemin's face wasn't in any files and praying that luck was on his side.</p><p>the woman typed away on her computer before looking up at him. "oh. my apologies. he's in room 103."</p><p>chenle felt all the relief washing over him, as if he was an agent on a mission. and so far, the mission was successful. "thank you."</p><p>standing in front of the room, chenle had to gather up the courage to actually knock on the door. the anticipation was killing him, but his thoughts stumbled all over the place and in the end, he ended up pushing their fight aside. all he could think about was if jisung was alright, and the words he said to him on the phone... those kept playing around in his mind like a melody, a melody that evoked all kinds of emotions. jisung told him that he loved him. but did he mean it in the way chenle thought? or was it because of the drugs he took? and those drugs, how did he even get them? and why did he take them? what if he was hurt because of them?</p><p>all those questions had been tormenting chenle ever since the phone call ended and with a few knocks, chenle finally opened the door. "sungie..?"</p><p>chenle expected to see jisung on the bed, maybe sleeping, maybe playing on his phone or watching television. but what chenle didn't expect was to find him sitting on the floor, legs crossed as he played cards with another boy who looked around their age.</p><p>"chenle?" jisung looked up at him with surprise written all over his face.</p><p>"chenle?" samuel turned around to finally notice the boy standing by the door. "oh shit! you mean.. the chenle?" samuel hopped up back on his feet before walking over to him with a smile and extending his hand for a handshake. "hey! i'm samu."</p><p>chenle stood there without moving his hand, feeling a little perplexed before giving him a small smile. "oh, samu.. right. it's nice to meet you."</p><p>"i heard a lot about you." samuel teased with a playful smile while jisung turned red for the fraction of a second.</p><p>"samu, shut up!" jisung muttered in embarrassment before standing up. "don't listen to him.."</p><p>"well, he's my best buddy after all. he only says good things, don't worry." samu wrapped an arm around jisung's shoulder while chenle's expression went blank.</p><p>"best.. buddy? i'm sorry but.. i'm his best friend." chenle clarified while staring at jisung, who cleared his throat before gently pushing samuel's arm away.</p><p>"oh! yeah yeah yeah, for sure. i know." samuel laughed before bringing his arms behind his head. "i just meant i'm his best buddy in the center, you know?"</p><p>"right.." chenle mumbled a little awkwardly before facing samuel. "uhm.. i actually came here to talk to jisung. we haven't seen each other in a while.."</p><p>"oh, i'm sorry. i'll give you two some privacy." samuel excused himself, giving jisung a playful wink before disappearing behind the door.</p><p>"lele.. aren't you supposed to be in class?" jisung stepped towards his bed, signaling for chenle to sit next to him.</p><p>"i.. yeah, but i couldn't wait to come and see you." chenle sighed as he took a seat next to jisung on the bed. "i wanted to see you.. i was so worried, sungie. especially after what you said on the phone."</p><p>"i'm sorry for worrying you like that.." jisung looked down, feeling disappointed in himself. "i shouldn't have called you."</p><p>"no.. i'm glad you did. i wasn't aware of what.. you were going through. and to be honest, i still have no idea." chenle gently grabbed his hand, making jisung pick his head up to look at him. "i won't judge you.. i don't know what happened yesterday, or why you.. took those drugs. but.. i won't judge you for it. i just.. i want to know why you're here. i want to know what's wrong, jisung."</p><p>the comfort that chenle brought him was beyond anything he could express with words, and jisung simply interlaced their fingers, putting his full trust on his best friend. "i.. i was going through a really rough time. uhm.. after our fight, it felt like my entire world was crashing, you know? i know it sounds.. so dramatic but it's true. i had no one. jaemin was away, hansol was away.. you were away. my parents were always fighting and none of them really even cared. i found myself getting.. sadder and more miserable as time went by. my thoughts became really dark and one day i.. i got tired of feeling this way. i got tired of feeling like nothing i did would ever matter, like i had no one by my side. the loneliness.. killed me inside. and i wanted to.. get rid of it. forever."</p><p>chenle was hanging off the edge of each one of jisung's words, feeling his tears uncontrollably rising up. "sungie.. oh my god.."</p><p>jisung was pulled into a tight embrace, feeling himself melting against chenle's arms, his voice cracking unwillingly. "i'm.. sorry."</p><p>"no.. i'm sorry.." chenle took a shaky breath after wiping his tears away. "you were going through the worse time of your life and i was busy pouting and acting selfish.. i'm so sorry.."</p><p>"it's not your fault! it's no one's fault, really.. i don't want you to feel guilty for what i.. almost did. it's okay, nothing happened. i'm still here, right?"</p><p>"please.. never again.." chenle's voice was filled with desperation as once again threw himself against jisung's arms. "i don't want to be away from you ever again.. everything feels so empty and so meaningless without you around.."</p><p>"i get the same feeling, lele." jisung gave him a nod before slowly stroking his soft hair. "so.. let's stay with each other."</p><p>"always." chenle sniffled, and jisung took care of wiping off a few remaining tears on chenle's delicate face.</p><p>"your nose is so red already.." jisung commented with a smile and chenle couldn't help but laugh despite his wet eyes. "i missed your laugh, lele."</p><p>"and i missed you. everything about you." chenle had a small pout on his lips as he allowed his head to fall, resting against jisung's shoulder. "so, best friends forever?"</p><p>"that never stopped. best friends forever." jisung glanced at chenle's small hand and linked their pinkies together in an everlasting promise.</p><p>"mhm.. you say that but your other friend seems to think otherwise." chenle puffed one side of his cheeks, a grumpy expression now apparent on his face, making jisung laugh.</p><p>"are you jealous of samu?" jisung poked his cheek while chenle shook his head. "you have no reason to."</p><p>"not jealous.." chenle crossed his arms but couldn't help the smile that slowly crept up on his face as jisung kept pressing his cheek repeatedly.</p><p>"good." jisung smiled, feeling whole for the first time in a while. "aren't you going back to school?"</p><p>"noooo.. i want to spend more time with you. we have a lot of catching up to do. but more importantly, when are you coming back to school? when will you be back home?"</p><p>"i should be out of here by the end of the week. so, i'll start next week, hopefully."</p><p>"good.. can i keep visiting you everyday?"</p><p>"of course! you can't visit me everyday, you have to visit me everyday."</p><p>"i will! i'll bring you every lesson and homework we have so you can be all caught up."</p><p>"oh.. actually, is it too late to take back what i said?"</p><p>"jisung!" chenle laughed at the boy's sudden change of heart.</p><p>"okay, okay! but aren't you missing out right now? i don't want you to get behind because of me."</p><p>"don't worry, we have no lessons today. and... it's not like anything interesting ever happens on the first day, right?"</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>inside one of the many school bathrooms, jaemin was nervously pacing around the empty room, phone tightly clenched in his hand.</p><p>it wasn't long before the door slowly opened up, revealing none other than the person jaemin was impatiently waiting for.</p><p>"johnny.." jaemin mumbled with a crushed voice, and the teacher hastily closed the door behind him before taking small steps towards the boy who was looking at him with tearful eyes.</p><p>"jaemin.. oh god. i can't believe you're here." johnny moved a hand up to caress his cheek, but jaemin backed away instantly.</p><p>"no.. don't touch me. why did you lie to me? you told me you were a college professor, so what are you doing here?" jaemin had trouble keeping his composure as the memories came rushing by, flooding his memory and increasing the pain he was feeling.</p><p>"i did not lie, jaemin.. i would never lie to you. what i told you was true, i am a college professor. but teaching here was an opportunity i simply couldn't turn down for anything in the world." johnny explained without taking his eyes off of jaemin, watching the way his soft lips seemed to tremble. "but if i had known that you attended school here, i–"</p><p>"what? you would've turned it down then? i thought it was an opportunity you couldn't turn down for anything in the world. so don't try to make me think it would've been any different just because of me. it wouldn't have mattered anyway." jaemin looked away, turning his head to the side to avoid johnny's eyes.</p><p>"you're wrong. if i had known, i wouldn't have taken that position. because you do matter to me, jaemin. please, look at me." johnny had his hand comfortably resting on jaemin's cheek, while the boy looked back at him with eyes full of a melancholy that broke his heart. "this doesn't have to change anything between us. i've missed you."</p><p>jaemin shook his head, his eyes falling shut as an exasperated sigh left his lips. "you can't say that.. you're my teacher now. that changes everything, whether we want it or not."</p><p>"it doesn't change anything, jaemin.. you're not my student. you're the beautiful boy i saw at an italian beach, the beautiful boy i spent my entire summer days and nights with. playing the piano at midnight, running around a flower field with the sun beaming on our faces, laying on the cold grass and watching the sun set as we recite romantic poetry to each other. you're the beautiful boy who stole my heart on a warm summer day."</p><p>hearing johnny's words was always enough to make jaemin's knees weak, his heart filled with a bittersweet feeling as he leaned closer to his touch, almost melting into it. "johnny.."</p><p>"shh.." johnny leaned closer, connecting their lips in a gentle and almost nostalgic kiss. "i want more.. i want you. and nobody has to find out about any of this, it can be our.. little secret."</p><p>without another word, jaemin completely gave in to the temptation, his arms now wrapped around johnny's neck as the older carried him with ease, placing him down on the sink without pulling away from the kiss that was getting more ardent by the second, with jaemin pulling him closer almost desperately, their heavy breaths melting into the hot air that was now surrounding them. </p><p> </p><p>with a heavy sigh, jeno walked down the gigantic hallways that felt like a maze to him, he still had a bit of trouble locating himself around, but jeno knew he would get used to it with time, and with help from the plan provided by renjun. one thing jeno wasn't so sure about was whether or not he could get used to donghyuck treating him in such a way, as he found his behavior hard to understand. but for now, jeno chose to ignore it. he needed to freshen up a bit, which is why he stepped inside one of the bathrooms he found himself closest to from wandering around without any real destination.</p><p>but as soon as he opened the bathroom door, jeno's eyes went wide as he was met with an image he wouldn't have expected. jaemin was making out with their teacher, his jacket thrown on the floor, hair a complete mess and lips redder than the fire that seemed to fuel their kiss.</p><p>the two of them immediately stopped once they noticed jeno's presence, both staring at him with shock written all over their faces, their breathing short and heavy.</p><p>"uh.. sorry!" jeno blurted out nervously before turning around and walking away as quickly as he could, eyes staring down at the ground in disbelief.</p><p>"i'll take care of it." jaemin reassured quietly before hopping off the sink and following after him, his legs slightly wobbly from the intensity of the kiss. "jeno! wait! please!"</p><p>jeno couldn't keep walking once he heard jaemin's voice, turning around to stare at him with a disoriented expression before clearing his throat. "sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt."</p><p>"it's not.." jaemin sighed, failing to find the right words. "it's not what you might be thinking."</p><p>"you mean it wasn't you just making out with our english teacher? well, guess i need to get my eyes checked then." jeno chuckled nervously.</p><p>"it's not like that. you don't understand.." jaemin looked down.</p><p>"so that's why you stormed out of the classroom this morning, huh? i heard about students sleeping with teachers for good grades but we haven't even had our first exam yet."</p><p>"i already said it's not like that!" jaemin frowned, before taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "i met him in italy, we spent our summer together.. finding him here, as my teacher.. was the last thing i expected. i actually.. really like him. spending my summer with him was like a dream and now.. it feels like it's turning into a nightmare."</p><p>"i see.." jeno didn't really know what to say after listening to jaemin's explanation, which was filled with desolation.</p><p>"look.. i know i haven't been the nicest to you. and i know you might still be mad at me for what i said yesterday but.."</p><p>"i won't tell anyone. if that's what you're worried around, you can relax."</p><p>"really?" jaemin looked up at him with hopeful eyes, and jeno gave him a nod. "thank you, jeno. and i'm sorry for what i said yesterday. about samuel.. i shouldn't have been so quick to judge him. clearly."</p><p>jeno chuckled along with jaemin who showed him a grateful smile. "that's okay. but isn't it crazy? i keep discovering your secrets without even meaning to."</p><p>"you're right.. but i'm hoping they can be safe with you. and so far, they are."</p><p>jaemin went back to the bathroom to get his jacket, noticing that johnny had already left. but jaemin knew they would continue their conversation later that day.</p><p>as jaemin and jeno made their way back to class, they managed to spark up a lighthearted conversation that eased up jaemin's worries for the time being.</p><p>but it seemed like the possibility that someone else might have witnessed their little makeout session slipped out of jaemin's mind completely.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>after finishing up their food, the small group split up yet again, with mark excusing himself first, leaving yukhei and renjun all on their own. there wasn't any awkwardness between them, but renjun stayed quiet nonetheless, leaving yukhei to peacefully indulge in finishing donghyuck's untouched plate without feeling the need to start a conversation.</p><p>however, yukhei was the one to break the silence after taking one last bite of délice. "hey, we still haven't finished our tour of the school, right?"</p><p>renjun looked up from his phone and gave him an affirmative nod. "that's right, we didn't have time to explore everything before our first class. not to mention that you were a bit late this morning."</p><p>yukhei chuckled. "yeah, sorry about that. we don't exactly live by the street corner. but since we have time to kill before our last class, do you think we could explore what's left of this maze? only if you're not busy, of course."</p><p>"it is my responsibility to be your tour guide for today, therefore i am at your disposition whenever you need me. but wouldn't it be unfair to continue the tour without jeno?" renjun looked hesitant, almost reluctant.</p><p>"nah, he'll be fine. he got his best buddy donghyuck to show him around, right?" yukhei winked at the boy who sat across from him, a soft amused smile on his lips. "c'mon, let's see what else this school got!"</p><p>walking down the hallways with renjun by his side, yukhei was way too busy checking out all the girls to pay attention to his informational blabbering. the girls walking past him, the ones leaning against the walls and the lockers, the ones sitting by the stairs or leaning against the doorframes. they were all gorgeous, with their short skirts and perfect shapes, it seemed as if everyone in that school was fit to be a supermodel. but there was one girl in particular who caught his attention, with her plump red lips and long black hair, yukhei felt breathless when his eyes met hers, with all of their intensity.</p><p>"actually, it's a funny story because the founders of the school had–"</p><p>"oh my god, dude. who's that girl?" yukhei leaned closer, cutting renjun off in the middle of his sentence to whisper the curious question.</p><p>with a surprised frown, renjun followed yukhei's discreet pointing, a soft sigh escaping his lips once his eyes landed on the subject of yukhei's attention. "that's soojin."</p><p>the brief introduction wasn't enough to satisfy yukhei's curiosity, who quickly followed after renjun once the boy quickened his pace. "uh, is that really all you can tell me?"</p><p>"what else would you like to know?" renjun kept looking straight ahead, without slowing down his steps.</p><p>"i don't know! anything. she's like.. super hot. but it's more than that. when she looked at me, it felt so intense! i think she's into me."</p><p>"how cute. love at first sight." renjun rolled his eyes. "well, if you want to know more about her, i suggest speaking to her yourself."</p><p>"fine, i will." yukhei looked back at her one last time, a smile on his face.</p><p>"we can even stop the tour if it's an inconvenience for you at that time. if you have more important things to do, by all means, go for it. we can do this later." renjun stopped in front of a wide door, wide enough that a car could possibly pass through it.</p><p>"what? no! we're doing this now. so, where are we?" yukhei glanced at the door.</p><p>"the gymnasium. or preferably, the athletic paradise." renjun pushed the door open, and yukhei felt a shortness of breath at the sight.</p><p>"woah.. now that's what i'm talking about." yukhei stepped inside, admiring his surroundings.</p><p>the gymnasium was like a separate section of the school, like a building of its own. it was huge as it regrouped many athletic purposes, it was everything an athlete could dream of.</p><p>a basketball court, a boxing ring, an indoor swimming pool, all separated spaciously. even the locker rooms were equipped perfectly.</p><p>as they made their way back to the basketball court, yukhei spun around and let out a loud scream of joy. "that's definitely my favorite part of this school!"</p><p>renjun watched him grab a ball and dribble it around with ease. "i have a question.. i know jeno got a scholarship because of his excellent grades. but.."</p><p>"but?" yukhei stopped, with the ball still in hands as he looked at renjun with a raised brow.</p><p>"let's just say.. i checked your files and your grades are far from the best, no offense." renjun cleared his throat. "so i was wondering.. how did you manage to score a scholarship here?"</p><p>"i'll show you." with impressive speed, yukhei pushed himself forward without ever losing balance with the bouncing of the ball, and with a skillful expertise, yukhei lifted himself up in a masterly jump before finishing up the show with a perfect score.</p><p>renjun watched him with a hint of surprise in his eyes, before giving him a slow nod. "i must admit i'm quite impressed. so, you're a jock, huh? it was fairly obvious."</p><p>yukhei laughed softly and moved closer to him. "a jock? you make it sound like a bad thing, i just like playing sports. i was the team captain in my old school, and that was part of what got me a scholarship here. not that i don't deserve it but it was easier to get one after the whole fire situation."</p><p>renjun frowned in confusion. "the fire situation?"</p><p>"oh, you didn't know? our school burned down out of nowhere."</p><p>"what?!"</p><p>"yeah, i don't know any details other than the fact that your school may be responsible for starting the fire. our school was undergoing construction thanks to donations from the headmaster here, i guess he took us in as his charity case for some reason. they say that some electrical wires got messed up and next thing you know, our school was burnt to the ground overnight." yukhei explained all while bouncing the ball absentmindedly.</p><p>"that's insane, how come i've never heard about that?" renjun was still frowning, his confusion not easing up after yukhei's explanations.</p><p>"maybe they didn't want anyone to find out? all i know is that after the fire, this great school offered a scholarship to the two most promising students there; lee jeno and wong yukhei."</p><p>"so.. you two being here is like a compensation?"</p><p>"you may call that a compensation, i just call it luck on my part."</p><p>"that's strange.. hiding the situation so well seems a bit unnecessary if it truly was just an accident. but then, what if it wasn't an accident? who could do such a thing? and why?" renjun's questions weren't really adressed to anyone other than himself as he fell into deep reflections.</p><p>"i have no idea. but you'll figure it out, you're smart." yukhei smiled and ruffled renjun's hair, earning a surprised gasp from the shorter boy. "i gotta go. get aquatinted with soojin, if you know what i mean. thanks for the tour!"</p><p>renjun stayed quiet, watching as yukhei walked away casually, his mind now troubled with the new mystery.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"so, how do you usually spend your days around here?" chenle asked as he paced around the small room, while jisung was still seated on the bed.</p><p>"it's pretty much always the same thing. aside from the doctor visits and the therapy sessions, i just hang around with samu or we watch tv in my room. or.. we sneak out in the middle of the night to go buy drugs from a scary dealer who threatens to hurt us. then we crash a party where i know absolutely no one, then i take a magical pill that gives me the courage to call you and.. say what's on my mind." jisung whispered the last part as he stared at the bedsheets.</p><p>chenle turned around to face him, the memories of the phone call coming back to him, except this time, it was the right time to bring them up instead of avoiding them. "speaking of that.. did you.. mean what you said?"</p><p>"of course i did. all of it." jisung cleared his throat before looking up at him with rosy cheeks.</p><p>"then.. i should say that i love you too, sungie." chenle admitted with a timid smile while making his way to the bed.</p><p>"i know.. we're best friends, after all. of course we love each other." jisung giggled a bit nervously, and chenle had to hide the disappointment that was now present on his face.</p><p>"oh.. right, that's what i meant." chenle smiled before lowering his head ever so slightly to wipe off his saddened expression. but it didn't take him long to look back at him with his usual sparkling smile. "hey, it must get pretty boring around here. aside from spending time with.. him."</p><p>"yeah, pretty much. but it's also good for relaxing, since i can't go anywhere." jisung shrugged.</p><p>"you're not allowed to go out? not even with.. family?"</p><p>"i can get special permissions but my family doesn't really want me outside when they told everyone i was in new york living my best life. hansol did sneak me out maybe once or twice but that's about it." jisung paused before staring at chenle suspiciously. "wait a minute.. speaking of family, they told me i wasn't allowed to have visitors outside of family. how did they let you in here?"</p><p>"i might or might not have told the receptionist that my name was na jaemin, but that's all i'm gonna say." chenle crossed his arms with a triumphant smile.</p><p>jisung laughed and shook his head. "i can't believe you. since when did my best friend become a secret agent?"</p><p>"since today. and i'll do it over and over again if that means i get to see you being safe." chenle's voice was filled with a sincerity that warmed up jisung's heart. "so! since i'm technically your brother right now, do you think i could get you out of here?"</p><p>"chenle, i already told you.."</p><p>"just for an hour, i promise! we can catch up and get your favorite chocolate cake from ruby's bakery. you know, the one that melts in your mouth.."</p><p>jisung whined as he felt his mouth watering at the thought. "i can't say no to that.."</p><p>chenle smiled and got up before pulling jisung with him. "yay! i've missed spending time with you."</p><p>"me too, lele." jisung smiled and pulled him closer for a long hug.</p><p>"aww.. not to ruin the moment but we don't have much time on our hands and i really don't want jaemin to find me here. so we better hurry." chenle left a quick kiss on jisung's pink cheek before pulling away. "now, all we need is a car."</p><p>"you didn't bring your chauffeur?" jisung tilted his head to the side.</p><p>"i can't exactly do that while sneaking out of class, now can i?" chenle reminded him, and jisung hummed. "but i can call a cab agai–"</p><p>the door flew open before chenle could finish his sentence, and the two boys turned their heads around at the same time.</p><p>hansol stood there, watching the both of them with a confused expression. "chenle?"</p><p>"hansol?" jisung looked at his brother with just as much confusion and surprise.</p><p>"jisung!" chenle smiled widely before grabbing his best friend's hand. "we have our solution!"</p><p>"what are you talking about? and how did you get here?" hansol asked curiously while chenle and jisung stepped closer to him.</p><p>"did you bring your car? we need a ride." chenle asked while completely ignoring hansol's questions.</p><p>"well, yeah but–"</p><p>"great, thank you! i'll explain on the way there. now let's go, we're on a time limit here!" chenle dragged jisung away, who simply giggled at the scene while hansol followed behind them with a helpless sigh.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>as he made his way to his last class of the day, mark spotted donghuck walking towards the clasroom while tightly clenching his phone in hand, eyes locked on his screen with a small, almost satisfied smile on his face.</p><p>"you seem to be in a better mood than before." mark stopped in front of the boy to stop him from walking any further.</p><p>donghyuck looked up from his phone to stare at mark with his usual venomous smile. "that might change soon if you don't get out of my way."</p><p>mark let out a small chuckle devoid of amusement. "okay, that's just weird. what's your problem, hyuck? what did i do to you? you've been so awful to everyone today, more than you usually are."</p><p>"what did you do? oh, i wonder." donghyuck rolled his eyes. "you see, the difference between us is that at least i don't pretend to be innocent when i'm not."</p><p>"i don't know what you're talking about, so how about dropping the cryptic wording and going straight to the point for a change?"</p><p>"that won't be necessary." donghyuck pushed past mark to step inside the classroom, and mark could only let out an exhausted sigh before doing the same.</p><p>mark was surprised to finally see jaemin, who had been hiding all day, chatting with a few of their classmates with a smile on his face. but as he made his way towards him, jaemin noticed and pulled yukhei, who was on his way to his seat, down next to him.</p><p>"uhm, hello to you too, pretty boy." yukhei managed to be playful, despite being confused by the action.</p><p>"sorry, i just really don't want a certain person to sit next to me." jaemin had an apologetic smile on his face, but yukhei didn't seem bothered at all.</p><p>"i got you. i don't believe we've met yet. i would've remembered such a pretty face. i'm lucas, what's your little name?"</p><p>"i'm jaemin. are you usually this flirty with everyone?"</p><p>"oh shit." yukhei's eyes widened as he turned back to stare at mark once he realized that jaemin was the one he had been hearing so much about.</p><p>mark plopped down on the empty seat next to jeno. "can this day end already?"</p><p>"you don't look too happy. don't worry, i'm sure yukhei won't get in the way with the love of your life." jeno chuckled as he looked at the both of them.</p><p>"it's not yukhei i'm worried about." mark shook his head. "maybe i should be more worried about you."</p><p>jeno froze, looking back at mark with a confused frown. "me?"</p><p>"i'm kidding. my humor is dry because i'm getting desperate." mark clarified as he dropped his head on the table. "jaemin just won't speak to me, no matter what i do. i just wanted to check on him since, you know, he fled in the middle of class. i wanted to make sure of something, to see if he was okay. but instead, he's flirting with lucas and completely ignoring me. how great."</p><p>jeno cleared his throat. as much as he hated lying to mark, he just couldn't let him know about the scene he walked in on. it would break his heart as well as the promise he made to jaemin. so instead of commenting any further, jeno simply stayed quiet.</p><p>luckily for him, an announcement could be heard as the voice of an old woman, presumably the principal's secretary, interrupted all conversations in the room.</p><p>"na jaemin to the principal's office immediately. i repeat, na jaemin to the principal's office. right now."</p><p>the severe tone in her voice didn't go unnoticed, and once again, all eyes were on jaemin, who looked over at jeno with flashing worry written in his eyes.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"do you remember the time when we almost got lost at the beach?" chenle took another bite of his cheesecake while jisung almost choked on his chocolate cake from gasping too loudly.</p><p>"oh yes! you even fell and hurt your knee, and i had to carry you on my back." jisung smiled, blushing discreetly at the memory.</p><p>"i would've been so scared if it wasn't for you being there with me. somehow, you always make me feel safe." chenle couldn't help but let go of his cheesecake to focus more on jisung's awkward yet sincerely beautiful gaze.</p><p>"i can't believe i'm spending the rest of my day babysitting the both of you, and getting completely ignored in the process." hansol's complaint made the two boys snap out of their little moment as both of their cheeks were now burning.</p><p>"woah, the sun will be setting soon. i can't believe we've been here for so long." chenle stared out the window, an attempt at allowing his heart to calm down from beating like crazy in his chest.</p><p>"well, time flies when you're having fun." hansol coudn't help a tender smile from showing on his face as he noticed the endearingly sweet and innocent tension between them. "but we're gonna have to go now if you don't want jaemin to find out."</p><p>"i have to grab a cake for samuel before we go back!" jisung quickly stood up and went to make an order, while chenle's expression turned just a tad bit morose.</p><p>"hey, don't make that face. i haven't seen jisung this happy in months, you know?"</p><p>chenle turned his attention to hansol. "really? he must really like cakes then."</p><p>hansol chuckled. "yeah, and he really likes being with you. so don't be jealous for no reason, i heard it wasn't a very cute look."</p><p>"i'm not jealous!" chenle crossed his arms as he turned back to look at jisung. he was smiling and thanking the cashier while holding a box in his hand. and just like that, chenle's pout was back to a joyful grin. "he makes me the happiest as well."</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>standing in front of the wooden door, jaemin allowed himself a few seconds in order to take a deep breath before finally delivering the knock that would allow him into the office he dreaded entering.</p><p>"you asked to see me?" jaemin couldn't hide how nervous he was, and his worries only got stronger once he spotted johnny sitting on one of the red leather chairs.</p><p>"come in." the principal's voice was dry, his eyes fixated on a phone screen. "i assume you already know why i called you here, jaemin."</p><p>"i.." with a sigh, jaemin stepped closer to the desk, chewing on his bottom lip. "i do?"</p><p>"well, in case you don't. this might refresh your memories." in an abrupt gesture, the principal turned his phone screen towards the two of them. johnny simply looked down, while jaemin felt his heart sinking even deeper.</p><p>it was a video of the both of them, just a while ago, on the bathroom sink, in the middle of a very heated makeout session.</p><p>"who.. who sent you this?!"</p><p>"an anonymous source, and i don't want this getting out of this office. we don't need another scandal."</p><p>"i.. i can explain." jaemin cleared his throat as he tried to shake off the petrifying feeling of shame and embarrassment that took over him.</p><p>"that won't be necessary. we've already come to terms with the appropriate procedures. you're fired." he pointed to johnny, who kept quiet all along.</p><p>"fired? but that's not fair!" jaemin attempted to start a defense, but he was quickly cut off  by a slightly more irritated voice.</p><p>"you don't get to decide what is or what isn't fair! your parents have already been contacted, and lucky for you, expulsion won't be an option you'll have to worry about."</p><p>"if you're going to fire him, then i should be expelled as well." jaemin frowned, his heart pumping in his chest from all the stress and strange adrenaline that came with his growing anger.</p><p>"your parents have already settled this, and mr. seo was adamant about taking all of the blame, which exonerates you from any further punishment." the principal was now facing johnny as he continued. "it seems your time with us has been shorter than expected. you're free to pack up your belongings and leave the school grounds immediately. i hope you're not thinking of getting another job in the area, since that might be impossible for you now."</p><p>"i'm well aware, sir." johnny broke his silence for the first time since this whole ordeal, and jaemin watched him with bulging eyes.</p><p>"good. and you.." the principal dragged out the word as he glanced over at jaemin with a grave expression. "this better be the last time i see you in my office. now, get out."</p><p>johnny was the first one to leave, while jaemin followed after him precipitously.</p><p>"wait!" jaemin ran after him in the empty hallways, and johnny finally stopped once jaemin reached him.</p><p>"i have to go get my stuff. the good thing is that i don't have much. ironically, i didn't even have time to properly settle in." johnny chuckled a bit sarcastically.</p><p>"i'm sorry.. i had no idea that someone even saw us!"</p><p>"someone did walk in on us, i was expecting something like that to happen. but the most important part is that you're okay. nothing will happen to you."</p><p>"what about you? what will happen to you?"</p><p>"let's just say that i'm.. sort of blacklisted around here. which means i'll have to look somewhere else." johnny nodded, seemingly trying to comfort the younger boy whose tears were starting to rise.</p><p>"this is all my fault.. i'm so sorry. it's not fair that you get to lose everything because.. of me." jaemin sniffled as he tried to hold in his tears, but johnny's hand came in contact with his skin in gentle and familiar caresses as he stroked his cheek, wiping some of the tears away.</p><p>"none of this is your fault. but we both knew this wouldn't work out. we chose to ignore it and now we're simply facing the reality of it all."</p><p>"what.. what's this reality?"</p><p>johnny smiled before leaving a small kiss on his forehead. "the reality is that you were a warm summer day and a scintillating summer night.. but i can't hold on to this summer forever."</p><p>jaemin looked up at him, the tears now flowing down his cheeks without restraint. "so it's really over.."</p><p>"we have to get ready for the other seasons too. just know that i'll never forget that summer, i'll remember it forever." with a last forehead kiss, johnny disappeared behind a corridor while jaemin stood there, still processing the situation.</p><p>"are you okay..?" jeno's careful voice could be heard from behind, pulling jaemin out of his thoughts.</p><p>"you.. i should've seen it coming." jaemin turned around to face him. "i thought i could trust you."</p><p>"what are you talking about? i just came here to check on you.. i didn't mean to witness the.. goodbyes."</p><p>"you know, if you wanted to have revenge on me so bad, you could've done it another way. johnny didn't do anything wrong, he didn't deserve this!"</p><p>jeno frowned at the increasing volume of his voice. "revenge? why would i want to have revenge on you?"</p><p>"i already apologized for what i said about samuel! you really had me fooled.. i thought you were different than everyone else here, but taking a video was just taking it too fucking far!"</p><p>"a video? i didn't take any videos. that wasn't me, jaemin!"</p><p>"you were the only one there! you're the only one who could've done it!"</p><p>"are you sure he was the only one?"</p><p>jaemin froze once he heard the familiar voice.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>the sunset was beaming on jisung's face as he leaned over chenle's shoulder, smiling at him once hansol's car stopped in front of the center.</p><p>"that was fun, lele. you really made my day a thousand times better."</p><p>chenle pulled him into a tight hug. "i don't wanna let you go.. are you sure we can't just keep driving to my house? do they allow sleepovers?"</p><p>jisung laughed at his best friend's persistence before patting his back. "hmm.. not sure, but i'll have to ask. seriously, thank you for today."</p><p>"stop saying that, we'll have even better days, sungie." chenle pouted and held his hand. "i'll be back tomorrow, okay?"</p><p>"i hope you're not counting on me to be your assigned driver." hansol chimed in from the driver's seat.</p><p>the two boys chuckled before letting go of each other's hands.</p><p>"i'll be waiting for you then. just don't skip school tomorrow." jisung smiled before stepping out of the car. "hey, hansol.. no need to walk me there. just take lele back to school."</p><p>"fine, but i'll wait until you get inside." hansol insited with all of his big brother authority, and jisung sighed before waving at them and making his way back into the treatment center.</p><p>once he made sure of his entrance, hansol drove off and jisung went back to his room, where samuel was waiting for him on the floor.</p><p>"perfect timing! that stupid show i told you about just started." samuel looked up at him, legs crossed and back comfortably resting against the bed frame.</p><p>"i bought cake." jisung plopped down on the floor next to him.</p><p>"so that's where you've been all day, hm?" samuel chuckled and held the box that jisung handed him. "did you have fun?"</p><p>"i did! and i'm sorry for leaving without letting you know." jisung nudged his side with his elbow. "you're not mad, are you?"</p><p>"me? oh no, i'm still waiting to be officially forgiven." samuel smiled as he took a bite of the cake. "holy shit.. best cake i've ever tasted."</p><p>"glad you like it. and yes, of course i forgive you samu. i thought i already made that clear."</p><p>"things have to be really clear with me. you know, like telling me you have a crush on your best friend so i avoid embarrassing you the next time he shows up."</p><p>jisung's cheeks flushed without warning. "what the hell are you talking about? i don't have a.. crush! on him!"</p><p>samuel glanced at him before shrugging and leaning closer. "then i guess he won't mind if i do this?"</p><p>jisung froze for a moment while samuel kept getting closer, his heart picking up its pace from the anticipation. "do what?"</p><p>with just a few inches separating their faces, samuel burst out laughing before falling back on the floor. "you should see your face! you're so red, dude!"</p><p>"fuck you, samu." with a grumpy huff, jisung took possession of the cake and stormed out of the room. "you're not eating this!"</p><p>"wait no, my cake!" with a whine, samuel followed jisung out of the room, the both of them laughing and running down the halls.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>jaemin turned around with wide eyes, pure shock written all over his face.<br/>
"donghyuck..?" he mumbled in disbelief.</p><p>"you should really be more careful when doing such scandalous things, you know?" donghyuck was standing in front him, phone in hand as his finger dangerously hovered over the screen. "or else.. everyone might just find out."</p><p>"don't do that!" jeno was about to take a step forward, but it was already too late for him to stop anything. the damage has already been done.</p><p>"oops, my finger slipped." donghyuck smiled before turning the screen towards jaemin. "at first, i only sent it to the principal.. but now, the entire school just found out about how much of a whore you really are. not that it would come as a surprise to anyone."</p><p>"fucking hell." jeno cursed under his breath, turning his attention back to jaemin, who looked completely devastated as his initial shock turned into sadness, betrayal and rage. all at once.</p><p>"why?" jaemin simply asked, swallowing back painfully as his voice cracked from the dryness of his throat. "why did you do this?"</p><p>"you know exactly what you did to deserve that. i saw it.. i saw you kissing him. in my own room, on my own fucking bed!"</p><p>"you just got an innocent man fired over a fucking kiss?! johnny didn't do anything to you! you ruined his life!"</p><p>"no, you ruined it. i couldn't care less about him. you broke my heart so now i'm breaking yours."</p><p>jaemin looked up at the ceiling, scoffing and trembling from the infuriating waves that crashed all over his bones. a dark chuckle left his lips as he stepped closer to his former best friend, the two staring each other down with thunder in their eyes, ignoring the fact that more people were now surrounding them.</p><p>"he kissed me first. i didn't ask for any of it. but you know what? he's a damn good kisser. and it's not my fault if he likes me better. he always has."</p><p>a few people gasped at jaemin's comment while donghyuck frowned, feeling a sharp sting in his chest at those words. "you knew exactly how i felt, and you still didn't push him away. you try to act so innocent but everyone knows your true colors." donghyuck glanced over at jeno, who was watching them closely. "if i were you, i wouldn't get too attached. he has a habit of collecting charity cases, which is what you'll always be around here."</p><p>before jeno could manage a response, donghyuck looked over at jaemin once again. "this is war, jaemin."</p><p>with that, donghyuck made an exit as dramatic as his entrance, bumping into mark who simply shot him a glare.</p><p>donghyuck stopped when mark rushed over to jaemin's side. "nana! are you okay?"</p><p>"don't.." jaemin pushed him off before walking away as quickly and as far away from the crowd as he could.</p><p>the final bell rang, and with it the crowd began to disperse.</p><p>"what the fuck is wrong with you?" mark followed behind donghyuck, roughly grabbing his arm to make him stop.</p><p>"you're hurting me." donghyuck frowned while fighting off mark's grip. "but that doesn't matter to you, right? i don't matter to you. only he fucking matters. what's so fucking special about him anyway?"</p><p>"don't take it out on him. he wasn't lying, i kissed him first." </p><p>"so that night at the beach house really didn't mean anything to you?"</p><p>mark paused for a moment, the memories rushing back in. memories of him and donghyuck on the balcony, with the waves crashing behind them just as their lips crashed against each other. "i was drunk, and so were you. we already promised to forget about it, it was just a kiss."</p><p>"we both know that it was more than just a kiss. it meant so much to me, how could you still be oblivious to the feelings i have for you after all of that? why do you keep denying your own feelings?"</p><p>"because my feelings aren't for you." mark didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he couldn't exactly control it. "they're for jaemin. that night, i was drunk because i missed him. you were there, and we made a mistake. that's all it was to me."</p><p>donghyuck could feel his eyes burning, but he refused to cry in front of him. "i truly hope he breaks your heart just as hard as you both broke mine today."</p><p>donghyuck walked over to his car, slamming the door and leaving mark on his own.</p><p>-⌔-</p><p>"not now, renjun." the principal sighed as he walked down the hallways, with the shorter boy persistently following behind him.</p><p>"but it's important! i would like to verify some informations about-"</p><p>"listen, renjun. i've had a very complicated day and i don't need any more problems or scandals. you can try again tomorrow, i have things to take care of."</p><p>renjun sighed and stopped, letting the old man take his leave without pestering him for information. "i guess i'll just have to investigate on my own then."</p><p>as he made his way outside, renjun spotted yukhei talking to a girl. she wasn't facing him but renjun could easily guess who it was, especially from the long black hair.</p><p>renjun tried to walk past them without getting noticed, but soojin was already leaving, and yukhei's attention was now on him.</p><p>"spying on me?" yukhei smirked, while renjun cleared his throat.</p><p>"i was simply passing by. you two seem to be getting along just fine."</p><p>"enough for her to give me her number." yukhei wiggled his phone excitedly in his hand.</p><p>"that's great." renjun smiled at his enthusiasm. "well, once again, welcome to our school."</p><p>"thanks to you, i've had a great day."</p><p>"oh.. no, i didn't do anything." renjun rubbed his arm a bit awkwardly.</p><p>"hey, you want a ride back home?"</p><p>"my brother is going to pick me up, actually. but thank you.."</p><p>"you're welcome! i have to wait for jeno. i'm supposed to get him home but i don't even know where he went."</p><p>"uhm.. do you want me to.. wait with you?"</p><p>yukhei smiled and hopped on his motorcycle. "sure, take a seat."</p><p>renjun bit his lip and tried to climb up without stumbling, but yukhei helped him effortlessly, with an arm wrapped around his shoulder. for some weird reason, renjun felt almost shy around him. but he simply hoped it would pass as he collected himself before sparking up a conversation. and strangely enough, renjun enjoyed it more than he had expected. he was almost disappointed when jeno showed up alongside mark a few minutes later, cutting their conversation short.</p><p>"hi guys! where were you?" yukhei questioned while pulling out his helmets.</p><p>"i was looking for jaemin." mark admitted.</p><p>"he must need some space right now, just leave him be." jeno looked over at the motorcycle and noticed renjun. "hey again."</p><p>"hi." renjun smiled softly. "what's wrong with jaemin?"</p><p>mark and jeno shared a look of surprise before turning back to face him.</p><p>"didn't you get a text from hyuck?" mark rose an eyebrow.</p><p>"i don't check my phone at school unless it's urgent." renjun pulled out his phone and opened donghyuck's text, eyes widening as the video started playing on his screen. "isn't that.."</p><p>"our english teacher. damn, i didn't know he was a teacher's pet type." yukhei commented as he watched from over renjun's shoulder.</p><p>"he's not." mark was quick to correct him, sounding more defensive as he did. "but now the whole school thinks he is."</p><p>"i can't believe this! i need to check up on him right now." renjun jumped out of the motorcycle. "sorry, i'll see you guys tomorrow."</p><p>"see ya.." yukhei waved as he watched renjun walk away. "you weren't kidding when you said that things were crazy around here."</p><p>"i have a feeling that things are only getting worse.." mark sighed. "jeno, i'm sorry for the way donghyuck treated you today. i'm the one he's really mad at."</p><p>jeno hopped on the motorcycle and put on his helmet. "don't apologize on his behalf. you know i can handle myself."</p><p>mark gave him a nod and the friends said their goodbyes before driving away, each in different directions.</p><p>and just like that, the long day finally came to an end.</p><p>in the lavish streets of the upper side of town, jaemin was receiving sensible advice from renjun, who comforted him with soundful words. donghyuck was still stabbing away at his plate without consuming any of it, while mark came back to an empty home, like he always did.</p><p>downtown, however, things were a bit different as jeno stepped inside his small apartment, impatiently waiting to take off his uniform. "mom, i had the craziest day today."</p><p>"oh really? why don't you tell me all about it?"</p><p>that voice.. it didn't belong to his mother. no, that voice made his blood boil.</p><p>"yuta.." jeno frowned as he looked up at him, jaw clenched tightly.</p><p>"aren't you gonna give your big brother a hug?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so this chapter was a bit of a mess lmao, i'm sorry if the writing seems worse, i'm just getting back at it and testing the waters again after a pretty long time. anyways, the drama is just getting started lmao. thank you for reading and please let me know your thoughts in the comments, it's really motivating and drives me to keep going!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>that was kinda long but i hope it helped set the tone for what's to come lmao</p><p>also i'd love to know your thoughts</p></blockquote></div></div>
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